The heart was made to be broken
by SarahJStar
Summary: Darcy was miserable; like it was hard to breath with the tightness in her chest and the lump in her throat, miserable. Not that she let it show, of course, she kept bigger things to herself than how an archer with a propensity for purple and practical jokes had thoroughly decimated her heart.
1. Chapter 1

**I'd learned that some things are best kept secret. **

Darcy was miserable; like it was hard to breath with the tightness in her chest and the lump in her throat, miserable.

Not that she let it show, of course, she kept bigger things to herself than how an archer with a propensity for purple and practical jokes had thoroughly decimated her heart. (Hello Thor and your creepy Shakespearian family drama, thanks for the ability to compartmentalise like a fucking pro.)

Plus, all the shit she heard being head scientist herder in charge and living in Avengers Tower, with the freaking Avengers, she knew how to keep her mouth shut around people who weren't in the know about all of the top secret, beyond classified, jibber jabber she was subjected to on the daily.

Seriously between Stark, Banner and Jane, Darcy was pretty encyclopaedic when it came to how to end the world using science! Not that she would ever put it to use, of course, well, not unless Tony motherfucking Stark kept signing the documents she gave him with names of rock Gods, that is; because of cause Axl Rose requisitioned a particle accelerator; ass.

Though now she was attempting to distract herself from the hellscape that encompassed her personal life, she was glad for the distractions her three favourite nerds provided from her morose sadness. Between mediating Tony and Jane smackdowns, when Stark attempts to mess with one of Jane's homemade toaster/blender contraptions that could quite literally defy physics, (well, astrophysics, whatevs, Darcy's all about the soft sciences, at least she used to b-oh, no, rabbit hole, now is so not the time to be falling down you) before protective Norse Gods and iron suits are called; and if she may say so herself, she can talk down any arguments between the scientists because she figured out pretty quick that if you treat them like children and bring it down the most of base of problems, (i.e.: don't touch Jane's shit, Tony. Or no, Tony, it's not nice to hide Bruce's glasses, give them back) you have some happy and adjusted worker bee's sciencing in harmony, at least until Tony tries to touch Jane's stuff again.

To making sure that not only does Bruce have everything he needs work wise; usually some semblance of peace and quiet (No Tony, you can't go into Bruce's lab so you can stick him with thumb tacks –again- just to see if he'll turn emerald in the eyes; nor can you use sound waves to see if you can draw out The Other Guy, like how the whales communicate, I thought you cut back on your day drinking) and his calming teas that to Darcy smell and look like skeazy pond water in the midday sun, but whatevs, she drinks Jaeger on its lonesome when she's on her lonesome and that has no therapeutic benefits other than it helps her suppress super shitty memories of stupidly attractive archers; so she really can't judge.

But she also makes sure that he gets a little physical contact that's not Tony with something (Read: thumbtacks or other stabby objects) to goad a green reaction or a random medic poking and prodding him after he's come down from Hulking out and is sore and irritable, because, really you try having a super ragey growth spurt and then having to shrink back down to being a normal, fluffy doctor; that shit has gotta hurt. It's usually just an arm or shoulder squeeze, but on his not so good days Darcy extends it to leaning her head against his shoulder, her side pressed to his whilst tracing concentric circles on his back as if trying to leech his stress from him and into her. Or she'll smooth greying hair from his temples with the tips of her fingers when it starts to resemble fluffy antlers after one too many tugs of frustration; just something small to lessen his burden. And she likes those small moments, where she feels when he melts into relaxation against her and Bruce will gift her with a soft thank you and an even softer smile.

That's why it always surprised her when people used to comment on how strange they found their friendship, (no one more than Bruce who try as he might, couldn't fight Darcy's perseverance of wanting a friendship with the lonely Doctor), how someone so loud, sarcastic and cheery manages to calm and soothe a man who is none of those things (except sarcastic, because one of the things Darcy loves about her best boy bud is his surprisingly sarcastic mouth) but she just pointed out that if he can deal with Tony freaking Stark and his surprise sneak attacks to get a glimpse of green, he can more than deal with her and her smiles and small touches. And after over a year of best friendship with no negative hulking incidents in her presence, nobody really finds it strange anymore.

But more than that she enjoys the quiet comfort of not having to be all those things that people expect and want from her. Being the only non genius, super soldier, God, rage machine or highly trained Agent; can be exhausting, but they need her to be the normal civilian (if she can even be called that now she's fairly certain she has a security clearance above most top spooks in the business) so that they can experience some of said normality from the periphery, so they know why they do the crazy shit they do. And hell, of course she'll keep being that beacon of normality, or whatever, for them, because she loves her little super hero family. Darcy especially likes the comfort now that she finds that she is quite incapable of getting herself out of her post break up funk, which she's usually very good at but then she never really loved someone like she did him (no, bad thoughts, back to kittens and bunnies and dogs that can open doors). And she knows that Bruce enjoys not being side eyed like he's about to hulk out at any little thing; so that if he drops a beaker on the floor it won't have her running for the closest Hulk proof room, she'll just smile, give a falsely exasperated sigh, call him a butterfingers and go get a dustpan and brush sometimes with a hazmat suit just for jokes.

So if Darcy finds she has relocated from herself from her own office and into Bruce's lab to do her paperwork (for real, Freddie Mercury wants two dozen blow torches? Damnit Tony) or just to sit quietly, since her relationship implosion with a certain SHIELD Agent two weeks previously, no one says anything because it's not actually all that unusual for her to spend so much time on her own with him.

People also don't say anything because they weren't even aware that a certain ex circus performer had gotten Darcy to fall madly in love with him and they had something as close to perfection that Darcy had ever experienced, bar the whole secrecy part, yeah that part kind of sucked, let alone that it had ended in a pretty devastating manner, for her at least. At the beginning of her attachment to the archer, it surprised her slightly that they managed to keep it so under wraps, but then again he wasn't one of SHIELDS best for no damn reason. He was stealth to the Nth degree (ha, science term, or maybe math, whatevs, her nerds would be proud) and having been flirty and tactile with each other since they first met, that when they privately escalated the level of their intimacy to boyfriend and girlfriend nobody was any the wiser; well, except Natasha, but that super spy knew everything and she was Barton's partner and had a soft spot for Darcy, so she kept their secret with barely there smiles, twitches of immaculate eyebrows and very convincing reasons for why the secret couple weren't around, so not too bad odds really.

That's not to say that she didn't get funny little looks off of her constantly fighting pair of scientists who had gotten used to a freakishly happy, in an amazing relationship Darcy that they had grown accustomed to over the past nine months she was in said secret relationship, she did, especially when she didn't have a snappy comeback for Tony's latest comment on her rack or when how she wouldn't laugh and take a picture of the latest bizarre place Jane had found to sleep like some sort of cat (behind a filing cabinet, butt in the air like a baby, yeah that made a good tower wide wallpaper, that would never not be funny Janie) it was just as long as Tony had his ear-splitting music, is reminded to eat and sleep and occasionally shower by her or in the most extreme of cases Pepper (seriously after that infamous forty six hour bender of only Red Bull and scotch, ew, that lead to him making a virtual pet for JARVIS just in case he got lonely when the Avengers were off on mission, which only proved Darcy's theory: that not only could you, in fact, piss of an artificial intelligence but she also needed the power to drag her boss out of his workshop by his ear like the naughty little super hero he was, which she now did, thanks Pepper) has the minimal amount of documents to sign, which thanks to Darcy's famously bad ass filing systems, he did; and is told of any imminent Pepper arrivals so he can at least appear to be a functioning adult, he's happy and not really cognizant of the world around him, and what with him being a man-child at the best of times he's not likely to bring up any sort of uncomfortable emotion or situation if it isn't being a distraction.

The same could be said for Jane, except she required pop tart replenishment and a call to a certain Asgardian fellow when it became necessitous for her to shower, sleep or eat something with more nutritional value than a breakfast pastry and maybe get some sun once in a while, (because who knew that vitamin D was a good thing Mrs Scientist lady, jeez.) Oh, and alien God sexin', mustn't forget the alien God sexin'. Very important to a well rounded existence in Darcy's opinion. But Jane tended to notice when Darcy was in a funk, after so much time and life threatening experiences spent together you tend to be able to sense when something was wrong, but she had been nose deep in new equations for the past three weeks and when Jane was occupied with the stars sometimes even Thor couldn't drag her away, even with all his cute puppy dog faces, so she didn't take it personally and again no one knew about the relationship that was no more, so how could they know that she found it difficult to just exist at times (and, ugh, oh my Thor, if she starts sounding more like a douchey, sparkly vampire lover, she was seriously considering asking whether Coulson had an MIB mind wipe device, because, no she would not lower herself to Bella levels of self absorbency).

That's to say her nerds didn't mention anything until it was announced that Barton and Romanov were returning from whatever assignment SHIELD had sent them on just a couple of hours after Clint had said that he 'wished he'd never started their relationship' that it had been a 'mistake', 'she'd been a mistake' and that 'they were done'. So, yeah, Darcy may have froze for a moment too long in replying to Tony's proclamation of 'family dinner' at Avengers Tower for the 'Wonder Twins imminent return home'.

"Hey, Booberella? Family dinner? Celebrating the non deaths of our friends, teammates and mortal enemies on any given game night. You're going to make your kick ass stew right? You know how the Widow loves it and a happy ex Russian spy is a happy house." Tony says clicking his fingers in her face. Darcy flinches out of her thoughts and slaps his fingers away, eliciting an extremely feminine yelp from Tony, with an exclamation of "careful, Lewis, a lot of people have an awful lot invested in these beauties." He says wiggling his grime covered digits in her face, which she slaps away, again. "Seriously, Pep is extremely attached and will have plenty to say if any damage befalls them." Darcy makes a face at the implication and the lascivious look she's being subjected to, and with another undignified noise he barely gets out of reach in time of a third slap.

"Yes, Tony, the company would suffer greatly and that is the only reason Pepper would be perturbed by my well justified slapping. Because she has no other need for those stubby, greasy, little lumps." Darcy retorts as she reaches to slap him again but he just dances out of swinging range with a disgruntled noise of indignation at her slight of his infamous sexual prowess; But he recovers quickly, seemingly pleased with the resurgence of snarky!Darcy.

"So, I should tell JARV to get enough supplies for the appetites of a God, a super soldier, a part time rage machine," he lists with a nod towards Bruce who's sitting at Tony's work table rolling a screwdriver between his fingers and receives a head tilt, sigh and eye roll in return, "two hardworking scientists, my extremely well satisfied, thank you very much, Pep, of course yourself and two assassins who probably haven't eaten properly in like a month."

"Fifteen days, sixteen by the time they get back." Darcy says absently still trying to gather herself. Bruce and Tony both give her quizzical looks which she steadfastly ignores. "And no. Sorry. Busy." Darcy says as she turns to leave with a small shrug as she tries to calm the Mothra sized butterflies making her feel all to vomitous.

"Hey," Tony calls after her as she passes Bruce with a pat on his shoulder. "You have never been too busy for a family dinner before, especially not one that involves welcoming an Avenger back from a mission to your very ample bosom." Tony says gesturing his hands out in front of his chest and bringing them back in with a squeezing motion. Darcy is about to respond when Tony doubles over from a screwdriver to the crotch, courtesy of Bruce. Darcy laughs as Tony doubles over, spluttering for breath, tipping his red face up at Bruce who just shrugs in response.

"I told you not to do that with me around. Being disrespectful gets you nutshotted." Bruce reminds him as Tony gets his breath back and the water in his eyes recedes. Darcy is still laughing when she leans over and places a kiss on the side of Bruce's head.

"Thank you, Bruce, but he's harmless. Expecting sexual harassment from Tony Stark was actually in my orientation on how to deal with him. Pepper has JARVIS keep track of them all and I get a very nice bonus at the end of every month." Darcy says as she looks at Tony with narrowed eyes to see if she should be concerned or not. But Bruce shakes his head.

"Nope, not around me and if I didn't do it now it tends to manifest in the Big Guy. Last time there was a Tony sized dent in the side of a Gap after fighting some Doombots." Bruce says with a hint of satisfaction that makes Darcy's lips curve up. The Big Guy has quite the protective streak when it comes to Darcy as was realised at the very beginning of her and Bruce's friendship just a few months in to her residency at the Tower, when he scooped her up onto his shoulder and ran through SHIELD HQ during a fight against some of Magneto's mutants and placed her in a panic room with a grunt of 'Darcy safe' a light tap on the shoulder, reminiscent of what Darcy does to Bruce when he's stressed, with a large green finger and then he ran back out to fight side by side with Wolverine. Ten months later and it seems that the Big Guy still won't accept Starks bullshit when it concerns Darcy. Good boy. Which just so happens to be another reason she says nothing about her break up with Clint, his teammate, if The Hulk would throw Iron Man into buildings for a few lewd remarks on her appearance she dreaded to think what The Other Guy would do to Hawkeye, who didn't have the protection of metal armour, for hurting someone The Other Guy seemed to truly care about.

"Yes, well, at least then I have an iron suit, Bruce, you dick." Tony rasps as he straightens up and shakes his leg to the side slightly with a grimace. "Expect more thumb tacks, Banner," he says with squinted eyes and pursed lips. "Many, many more." He looks back to Darcy who has only just managed to pull her giggling back. "Anyway, why no scrumptious yummies for the enhanced and friends?" he asks with an arched brow and expectant head tilt.

Darcy sighs and gives Bruce a look of 'really? I have to tell him again?' Bruce just smirks and gives her a little pat on the hand. Darcy's found he's been doing that a lot since her secret break up, giving her little touches on the shoulder or holding her hand on the tabletop when they do paperwork, as if he knows she's heartbroken but doesn't, or in this case, can't talk about it. Its Bruce's little way of letting her know he's there when she's ready. And, hell, after ten months of being best friends with a guy who is very sensitive to the moods of those around him, she isn't surprised he noticed. And if Darcy is completely honest with herself, she has taken to touching Bruce more and it in no way has anything to do with comforting him, rather she has been seeking silent comfort for an issue he has no idea the cause of and he doesn't seem to mind since he's reciprocating. "Because Tony, as you well know, as I've told you four times this week and once this morning, I'm moving into my new apartment tonight and tomorrow. The dynamic duo won't even notice I'm not here." 'Or will be glad that I'm not here' Darcy thinks with a twist of her gut that she hopes doesn't translate to her face.

It makes her genuinely sad that she wouldn't be able to see Natasha, or Tasha as she'd been gifted with a few months previously during a night of pampering, Darcy had forced on the formidable female after she had returned from a particularly gruelling mission; and had noticed that Natasha was struggling to remove the varnish from her toenails, whilst sitting in one of the lesser used common rooms. Darcy had silently gotten her mani/pedi kits, Jacuzzi footbath (courtesy of Pepper who knew how much walking wrangling her scientists involved) hand oils and head massager from her room. She had returned and presented the assassin with her offerings with a tilt of her head and had received a small nod of acceptance.

Darcy then proceeded to pamper her like a mother fucking pro, because in her mind the usually uncommunicative redhead deserved it, receiving small sighs of contentment when she had finished removing the varnish and placed her dainty feet into the heated water, which caused a quirk of Darcy's lips knowing that she was doing something good for her. She seemed to surprise Natasha at how she could know her upper extremities were causing her discomfort, when she opened the oils and started to massage her hands up to her elbows, Darcy just smiled slightly in return and carried on until Natasha seemingly melted into the sofa. When the foot bath had done all the good it could do Darcy removed them from the bath and into her towel covered lap where she dried and lightly massaged away any lingering aches and tenderness, she could feel Natasha watching her but Darcy just continued unperturbed.

When her feet were done and the oil had been absorbed into the skin of her hands, Darcy presented Natasha with a myriad of colours for her fingernails to choose from, entirely unsurprised when the Assassin had chosen a deep red. Darcy went through the routine of cuticle removal, nail strengthener and base coats and whilst waiting for them to dry went and did the same to her toes. Again, reaching for the varnish but was stopped when Natasha asked for the 'sparkly silver one you wore last Tuesday,' because she liked it. Darcy looked up to see a look on her face that on anyone else she would have said to be sheepish and smiled with a nod. She painted Natasha's fingernails with long practiced precision and concentration glad to note the varnish lived up to the 'one coat' promise. She repeated the actions on her toes noting the slight twitch the toe separators caused, realising The Black Widow had just revealed a slight vulnerability, raising her eyes to Natasha's face she was given a slight smile of acknowledgement, that yes she was vaguely ticklish.

When her toes were done and she had top coated both lots of varnishes, Darcy stood up from the table she was perching on, told The Widow not to go anywhere and went to wash her hands; when she returned she was glad to see that Natasha hadn't left but was instead admiring her freshly painted nails and flexing her toes on the edge of the table. Darcy stood by the table picked up the head massager and shook it in askance, and received a nod of approval. Darcy grinned and skipped behind the sofa of where Natasha sat and carefully removed the band from her hair and ran her fingers through the slightly curled hair until it flowed down her back and shoulders. Deciding to completely ignore the massaging tool she continued a traditional hand massage of her scalp, temples, behind her ears and down the back and sides of her neck all the way to her shoulders and upper back, going in small and firmly soft circles. She only stopped the press of her fingers after a good thirty minutes, when Natasha sighed long and deep in contentment and circled Darcy's wrists, lightly, with her fingers and gave a soft squeeze. Darcy removed her hands from her scalp and Natasha stood gracefully from the seat, looking more relaxed than ever before, she walked silently around the sofa to Darcy gave her a smile, kiss on the temple and a quiet 'thank you' before she turned to leave the room with the parting words 'if you would like, you can call me Tasha' Darcy smiled wide and replied with 'I would very much like that, thank you, Tasha' just before Natasha could leave Darcy called out and said 'if you ever want me to do that again' motioning to the assortment of pamper tools, 'all you need do is ask, it would be my pleasure' Natasha smiled and left to what Darcy assumed was for her room.

It wasn't until the next morning that Darcy had realised that she had made a friend of Tasha, and what a small group that was, which was further proven when she came down to breakfast and Natasha presented her with a stack of pancakes and cup of her favourite coffee with a 'good morning Darcy' a squeeze to her shoulder and a smile. Darcy returned the greeting with a 'thank you, for the breakfast Tasha, it looks delicious.' That had Steve raise his eyebrows at the endearment coming from Darcy and Tony spluttering one of his gross shakes down himself, telling Darcy he 'can get her out of the country and someplace safe away from The Widow' for the perceived slight. Darcy had just smiled in response and said that 'no such place existed' which made Natasha laugh as she took her leave for a day of training with Barton who was just looking pleased that the two women closest to him in his life were getting along. Darcy heard Clint say 'nice nails, Tash' and the response of 'thank you, a friend did them for me' that had Darcy smiling like a fool for the rest of the day.

Clint had later told Darcy that he had asked what Tasha thought of her during training and she had simply said 'I like her' which had Clint asking what had she done to 'earn the friendship of The Widow' and Darcy said she hadn't, but before he could object, she barrelled on and said she had 'earned the friendship of Natasha which to her meant a lot more' when he reiterated the how, she had told him of the pampering and small conversation after, but Barton was stuck on one part: 'she let you behind her and allowed you to touch her neck?' Darcy nodded the affirmative and asked 'what' when he looked stunned, he shook his head slightly smiled and said 'she doesn't just like you, she trusts you, she let herself into an extremely vulnerable position with you' with that he swooped in, kissed her soundly and said 'thank you' and that 'Tasha needed more than just him and how glad he was that she and Darcy had each other'. Thus began the unlikely friendship of master assassin and assistant extraordinaire made of quiet nights of relaxation, shared meals and pampering after bad missions or science weeks.

"You're serious about that? I thought you were just trying to get the day off." Tony says with a frown.

"How would that even be successful as a plan: to play hooky if I live in the place I work? You'd see me." Darcy asked her nose scrunched in confusion of Stark logic as she tried to shake her thoughts of not just losing Clint but also a woman who had truly become a good friend even though they weren't friends because of Clint, Tasha was still his partner and she didn't want any awkwardness, though Darcy imagined Natasha wouldn't take kindly to a man coming between a friendship she rarely gave.

"I never said it was a good plan." Tony huffed. "Why would you want to leave a badass Tower filled badass superheroes? Not to mention rent and utility free. You make no sense, this makes no sense, Bruce tell her she makes no sense." Tony orders as he crosses his arms over his chest and lifts his chin in the air.

"As much as I'll miss her, she's an adult who can make her own decisions on where to live or not." Bruce says as he gets off his seat and stands besides Darcy. "Plus I get Pizza for the trouble of helping her move." He adds with a small shrug and smirk.

"Only if you wrestle it off Thor." Jane says around a pop tart between her teeth, as she walks into Tony's workshop jotting in a notebook.

"You!" Tony exclaims pointing a finger in Jane's direction that makes her look up in surprise and has her pop tart falling to her papers which causes a pout. "You're the supposed best friend; talk her out of this madness." Darcy smiles softly, the big iron idiot is going to miss her.

"Hey!" Jane shouts back, "What the hell do you mean by 'supposed'?" she levels a withering glare at Tony and advances with purpose, which considering the relationship the two geniuses have is a daily occurrence.

"It's yours and big greens job to talk her out of stupid decisions and since Romanov isn't here to scare her straight and Barton can't flirt some sense into her," Darcy winces and really hopes no one noticed. "You've both obviously failed, since she's moving out of a fortress like tower filled with friends and people who like having her around where they know she's safe. I mean I don't care, but you know Steve and others do." Tony argues, losing some steam at the end. Darcy winces again, she knows how Tony secretly worries about the people he cares about hence his insistence of having his people close to him in the Tower. But she knows that he knows that Pepper helped to pick her out the safest apartment building closest to work and that it had added security put in by SHIELD and Stark industries (with JARVIS being installed as an added precaution and for what Darcy sees as the biggest upside: some good company, because he's totes her brother from another artificial mother, which she supposes is Tony aaaand she's just creeped herself out.), which is why she isn't already moved in before Clint came back like she hoped, security takes time. So whilst she is fully protected, it's just not by him and his team and not in immediate response distance in case of another incursion of baddies. She just wished all of his worries could assuage the sick feeling she gets when she thinks of living in the same space as Clint, working in it is bad enough, at least he rarely ever comes down to the labs unless there's a new prototype of arrow for him or if it was to see her on the sly. Now he only has the arrows and she can make herself scarce then, but living with him wouldn't give her the space needed to try and fix herself.

"I did try, I tried when she told me two weeks ago and every day since, including this morning, but she's determined. Not that she'll tell me why." Jane says as she turns her glare on Darcy. Seriously for such a little woman she is stupidly intimidating. Darcy angled herself so she could look at both Jane and Tony whilst having her shoulder braced against Bruce's chest; that little bit of contact settling her. Thank Thor, she was glad she had a best friend like him, granted he turned into a giant green rage machine, but, you know, take the good with the Hulk smash (which, in her opinion, was pretty damn good).

"I did tell you, this is the first time I've been able to afford to live on my own as an adult, so why not try it? I can always come back to the Tower if things don't work out or my safety is in question." She adds with a glance to Tony to see him look slightly mollified by the mention of her safety. Although she did know the threat would have to be great to have her again living in a place that would have her stomach twisting every time the elevator went off, just in case Clint walked off of it. And that was a sure fire way to let everyone know what had happened, because really, the Avengers were such gossips. Give them the hint of something juicy and they went balls to the proverbial wall until it was drained dry. Poor Steve will never mention having another date again unless he wants to be inundated with questions from Gods with no sense of privacy and, well, Tony who makes it his sole purpose in life to irritate the unfortunate Captain.

"Um, no, this isn't a hotel, you can't just move in and out on a whim, Lewis. So now you have to stay if you ever want to come back." Tony said as if it made perfect sense. Darcy frowned before she turned her eyes up thoughtfully, counting back how long he's been awake and grimaced. Going on twenty seven hours by her estimate. She smiled softly and approached him slowly, his eyes tracking her every move wildly. As she reached him he narrowed his eyes at her face and opened his mouth to say something, but Darcy stopped him with her palm covering his mouth.

"I'm going to miss living here with you guys too. And I promise if my safety becomes to be too much of a concern we will talk about me returning to the Tower, but I'm going to try this." Darcy told Tony as he rolled his eyes and she could feel the purse of his lips under her hand which she took for acquiescence. "And that threat won't work with me because Pepper will just let me live in her percent of the tower." She said with a small smile. She then let out a yelp similar to the one Tony let out earlier when she felt his tongue drag across her palm. Darcy jumped back and wiped her hand vigorously on her jean leg. Jane made a disgusted noise whilst Bruce grimaced and muttered something like 'the Other Guy isn't going to be letting that go' Darcy turned back to back to stare at Tony incredulously, waving her hand in askance, all the while knowing he did it to escape a possibly emotionally wrought conversation. He just smirked slightly and lightly bounced on the spot.

"I wonder how big your bonus is going to be this month" Tony asked as he tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Probably enough for my first three months rent, you ass." Darcy replied holding her hand from her body lest it tried to infect the rest of her.

"Hm, probably." Tony said as he typed on his Stark phone that seemed to appear out of thin air. "Well, seems as you're abandoning all of those who care about you, not me, of course, I could care less what you do, but everyone else," he says with a wave of one hand whilst he types with the other, "will. So you know what that means?" he said with a devilish grin that she usually enjoyed the consequences of because it was never aimed at her, she was just along for the insanity that resulted from said expression.

"No, oh, no, we are not having a-"

"PARTY!" Tony shouted over Darcy's protest. He looked up from his phone and smiled again. "Movers will be here in an hour to move your stuff, so that will give you time to grab what you need for overnight, tomorrows work clothes and whatever party dress best accentuates the girls." Tony listed as he motioned her chest.

"That's two Stark." Bruce warned, to which Tony just shrugged in a 'worth it' manner.

"So, tomorrow night shall be 'Hello leather twins, laters Lewis' party." Tony says with a decisive nod as he tucks his phone into his back pocket.

Bruce looks at Tony, perplexed. "So, during that little exchange you organised movers and a joint celebration party?" Bruce carried on not needing the answer as he knows it'll just be a variation of 'duh' and continues "I am legitimately glad you haven't devolved and don't have the attention span to try and take over the world, because I don't think we could stop you." Bruce mused as he walked toward Darcy with an antiseptic wipe from one of the many open first aid kits dotted around Tony's workshop as he is an accident prone part time robot. He takes her loosely by the wrist and proceeds to wipe her hand down that she still holds from herself, knowing full well she wouldn't use it again until all traces of Tony were gone. Not that he could blame her; because ew.

"I really don't want a party, Tony." Darcy managed to get out as her thoughts returned from all the scenarios of what seeing Clint again could produce. They ranged from drunken yelling, to tearful karaoke renditions of Adele into a near empty bottle of Jaeger, because ladies and gentleman, Darcy Lewis is full of class.

"Since when? you are a party machine, Lewis, first in last out and always guaranteed to elevate the levels of fun." he said with a raised brow and scoff, but before she could come up with a reason to stop this crazy train that destination will surely be to Darcy making some kind of ass out of herself, Tony ploughs through, "Well, tough, Lewis, think of it in terms of a funeral; it's not really for the dead bastard it's for all the people the door nail bailed on." Tony said with a sniff.

'Oh, fun, guilt trip.' Darcy thought.

"Tony, I'll still work here, I just won't live here. So what? you won't see me wearing my pjs in the common room on a Saturday morning to watch cartoons on your ridiculously huge 3D TV, seriously, Tom & Jerry is nowhere as good on normal TVs. And I won't be here for meals, but I'll still be around nagging you all not to die from a science! Overdose." Darcy said with an exaggerated fist pump. She heard Bruce make a small noise and she turned to face him her eyes wide in question.

"You won't be here for meals?" he asked with a small frown crinkling his eyes behind his glasses.

"I mean, some, sure, you know like a few a month." Darcy clarified but his frown only deepened and she felt bad, she did, but Clint never missed a meal and she would be the size of Jane by the end of a week, what with the constant churning of her stomach that made eating in his presence impossible and Damnit, Darcy actually enjoyed food.

"Only a few a month?!" Jane exclaimed, really not happy with this turn of events. "So, I'll only see you when you remind me to be a human and all the other times will be all 'Darcy? Who's Darcy? I can barely remember her because I never see her anymore.' you know how I get Darce, all science all the time in the lab, the only times we get exclusive Jane/Darcy time together is up in the Tower. No, not fair." Jane said with a stomp of her foot as she slammed her notebook down on the work bench and pop tart pieces went flying, which had Tony mumbling something about 'do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants.'

"Whoa, ok, Jane." Darcy soothed like she was talking to a skittish horse and not a super genius astrophysicist. "We'll sort things like that out as they happen. Day by day, Janie." Then she turned to Bruce with a 'you cool' chin thrust. He smiled small in response, glad for the compromise which made her feel better about her selfish need to be as far away as she could get from a certain Avenger who was on their way home and could practically make her melt on the spot with a few well placed kisses and calloused fingertips, and no, she wasn't thinking about Tasha, although Darcy was sure that she was more than capable. (No, dirty thoughts are not allowed right now.)

"Fine, Day by day, but we are totally having this party Darcy. Tequila is our best friend in this shitstorm." Jane said with a sad little pout that continued to show her displeasure of the situation. Darcy could feel herself giving in and she really just wanted to start with the tequila right now, this shit was getting stressful. Seriously, she could deal with alien incursions with little more than some swearing and sweating but give her anything remotely personal related to her and she fell back on one of her worst vices. If she did start her drinking now, though, it would make her meeting with Fury and Coulson after lunch all the more interesting.

Although maybe drinking isn't the best long term plan, especially seems as it loosens her tongue far too much; as attested when the Lady Sif and the Warriors three last visited and she was nearly successful in hooking up Sif with Phil by just announcing their mutual desire to screw like bunnies. Damn Silver Surfer, seriously, not only is he lame but he totally cock blocked some crazy hot Alien/Super Agent sex, with all his bullshit flying over New York. So maybe drinking would be out and she could use the faculties she saved from not Jaeger bombing every ten minutes to playing the avoidance game. Yeah and then just sneakily saying her goodbyes and hightailing it out of there to the sanctuary of her new home. But God does she wish she could have a little help from Tony's top shelf friends to get her through the night, because it is going to suck some major balls.

So drinking was out as she couldn't guarantee that she could keep the cat in the bag; and she really didn't want everyone knowing her personal shit. She may talk a lot, but it was always about other people and that's the way she liked it; her shit was hers and hers alone. Which funnily enough was one of the things she and Clint agreed on, we all had stuff, we don't need to broadcast it, except to one another. Especially seems as this shit could potentially cause a rift in the team; she's not big headed enough to think that it would be the end of the Avengers because that's stupid, but it could cause enough of a problem that it would mess with their dynamics in the house and that would be a shame because they truly are a family and that is something that they all need as they each only have each other and maybe one or two others.

Especially Clint, and whilst he may have stomped on her heart in his SHIELD issued combat boots, she still loves him and she wants him to have a family, this family, so if that means her leaving it for a period of time or maybe for good after some stealthiness on her part of distancing herself from the Tower and its inhabitants over a period of weeks, although she hopes not, then so be it. He deserves to be happy.

So with a sigh and accepting the inevitable of what is sure to be one of the worst parties she's ever been to (and she is absolutely including the time that the donkey died in front of her at the petting zoo she had at her 7th birthday, that shit was scarring, who knew a donkey could make a death call like that?) Darcy folds. Her only true hope is that Clint begs off early claiming mission fatigue or she can stick to her plan of sneaking off to her new home. Not that she was really looking forward to living alone, she wasn't, she was going to miss everyone but it was Clint's home first and she wanted him to feel comfortable in the space he lived between missions, something he never really had before, and besides she still had JARVIS. (Screw anyone who said it was weird for her to have in-depth convos with an AI; he gave spectacular advice)

"Fine, partaaay." Darcy cheered with all the enthusiasm of someone finding out they had Jury duty on their birthday. With some parting nods and a pat on her shoulder from Bruce, Darcy was sent to her apartment up in the Tower to retrieve what she would need and to take them to a guest quarters, all the while lamenting how her life was really not in her control right now but vowing that after the next clusterfuck of days Darcy Lewis would be back in charge. She hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

Darcy looked around, what would soon be her ex, Avenger apartment and sighed. She really had some pretty killer memories here and she would miss it.

She walked across the open plan living space and smiled at the time she had made Steve and Thor move her furniture back and use their super strength for her very own 'Baby' moment from Dirty Dancing, because Darn it; what was the point of having super friends if you couldn't use them to make a few frivolous fantasies come true.

Not that they complained, well, Steve may have complained after, when Thor, who had had such a fun time doing it had proceeded to go around the Tower asking anyone he happened upon if they wanted a 'dirty moment, like he and Steven had just given Ladies Darcy and Jane in her rooms', yeah, if Steve had any residual iciness in his bones from his seventy years as an ice cube, Darcy was fairly certain that the heat from the blush that erupted over his beautiful face had effectively melted any and all traces.

The Captain had then dragged a cackling Darcy (which if Steve's increasingly exasperated sighs (something Darcy was very used to coming from him, oh, she knew Steve enjoyed her company and liked that she didn't treat him like some relic, he just wished she was a little less enthused when he blushed and found increasingly more daring ways to making it happen, stating immersion therapy to the 21st century and its women), he did not appreciate her justified amusement with the situation) to go to each and every person in the Tower and explain that her virtue had not been taken advantage of, (which ha! Virtue! she hadn't had that since she was seventeen and was bored one fourth of July with her then boyfriend now pin covered voodoo doll) and explain what Thor had actually meant.

Tony, of course, ran riot with that little Asgardian gaffe at Steve's expense right up until Pepper had taken the pair of super strong hotties up on said offer, stating that she: 'had always wanted to try it but was always worried about counterbalance issues presented by height differentials'. Which had Darcy's cackling renewed and funnily enough Steve didn't seem to mind so much. Only Pepper Potts could simultaneously stop Stark being a dick to Steve, call him short and live her own frivolous fantasy; all whilst using impeccable vocabulary, God she loved that woman. Seriously, if Darcy didn't know that she, herself, was awesome, she would totally want to be Pepper Potts.

Or how in her space age kitchen (Darcy legitimately had to ask JARVIS where the toaster was, when it was revealed by one of his holy light beams, to be imbedded in the countertop) when her and Bruce had bonded, best friend style, making chocolate chip cookies and talking about the always tough topic of one Betty Ross. With smears of chocolate dough and clouds of flour, Bruce had opened up to her about all of it and his secret hope of one day being in control enough to get her back. Darcy had smiled and said 'he was getting closer to it every day' and that she 'had no doubt that Betty would welcome him back with open arms, when he was ready, because he was just that freaking worth it' He was quiet for a little while after that (which Darcy used to worry about, thinking that she had gone too far but soon realised he was just processing what had been said), placing the cookies into the pre-heated oven and cleaning his hand of any residual dough, he had turned to her smiled lop-sidedly, his eyes a little wet and enveloped her in a tight and appreciative hug which she returned just as tightly, saying into her hair 'if he was getting any closer to being better for Betty, he knew that he had to credit a lot of it to her,' when Darcy shook her head, he squeezed her slightly and made a negative humming noise and said 'if it wasn't for her insistence of friendship with him and all the things she did for him, that were far too many to name, he would be stagnant' Darcy a little overcome, buried her face in her neck as he turned his head slightly to press a kiss to crown and said a strong and sincere 'Thank you, Darcy Lewis'. They stayed like that until JARVIS politely interrupted and informed them that their cookies were ready. Darcy pulled back from Bruce but her arms remained firmly around his waist, looking in his eye and telling him that he 'never had to thank her for being friends with him because it was meant just as much to her that it did him.' He smiled, kissed her forehead and turned to get the cookies.

That night was not just the first time he had opened up to her about something sincerely painful and private but was also the first time he ever initiated a hug, which warmed Darcy inexplicably. They then proceeded to demolish all thirty cookies whilst watching NatGeo documentaries on parrots. Darcy was glad to note that cookies, venting and educational programming became a bi-weekly occurrence for the pair. It was just another thing she would miss, not that Bruce wouldn't come to her new place; of course he would, it just wouldn't be the same.

Darcy walked to her bathroom to collect what toiletries and make up she needed for the next two days and made sure she had all her party make up; the stuff where you could dance like a 90's raver and not sweat it all off and the lipstick that could withstand all the drinks and kissing your party hearty self desired, without smudging or dulling and packed the rest up for the movers to take. She hoisted herself onto the counter and swung her legs back and forth humming to herself, she knew she was stalling Damnit, but who knew that her brain was such a sentimental bitch? She was already aware that she was going to miss her friends she didn't the constant bombardment of memories, thank you very much.

And just because if her brain could torture her it would, she remembered sitting in that exact space whilst her, Tasha and Jane were laughing like goddamn hyenas over some god-awful glop Natasha swore was the best face mask ever created, stating that 'this was the only good thing she bought back from her motherland', to whit Darcy had said that wasn't true seems as she 'bought herself'. Natasha had turned slowly to Darcy and said with a grateful smile that 'she was starting to see that' which promptly lead to a particularly sloshed Jane bursting into uncontrollable sobs (Darcy knew that last batch of margaritas had been a bad idea, damn Jane and her sneaky drinking).

Between gulps for breath, Darcy and Natasha managed to decipher that Jane was happy drunk crying over the 'beautiful friendship' in front of her. Natasha smiled at the wasted waif and gently removed the god-awful glop from her face (so that she stopped looking like some horrific sea beast, in Darcy's opinion) and spoke in soft comforting tones that seemed to calm the genius considerably, while Darcy had JARVIS call Thor for drunky collection duties.

When Thor arrived (and finished inquiring if he needed to get Doctor Banner for the affliction that had befallen two such beautiful faces, said affliction being cracking face masks and being assured it washed off and not to worry) he had to gently pry a clingy, sniffling Jane from Darcy and Tasha; pouting she didn't want to miss 'almost girls night' (Pepper and Maria were away on business, so the fearsome five-some, as nick named by Tony, weren't complete, meaning it wasn't a proper girls night to begin with) but Darcy reassured her that there was always next week and barring any world ending calamities or Stark induced stock dropping, it would be a proper girls night, while Tasha nodded her agreement in exaggerated movements to get through Jane's drunken haze. Jane had departed with kisses on the cheek for both women, which shocked Natasha (but not Darcy, who was well aware how affectionate drunk!Jane could be and how much her little astrophysicist liked the Russian) and the promise that next week was going to be 'totes fun' (that had Darcy doing a happy dance inside at the colloquialism) and with a low 'goodnight' and 'sweet dreams' from Thor (Darcy –may- have swooned slightly, but come on, a puppy-like God had just wished her a good night's sleep, she's only human for craps-sake).

Tasha after returning from washing her own mask off, told Darcy to do the same in ten minutes and that she was 'retiring to her own rooms for the night as the hour was later than they had realised' (seriously leaving Jane in charge of the alcohol was a lesson she really should have learned by now). Tasha then stopped by the front door, looked at Darcy very seriously and said in a voice that was just as serious that she not only 'appreciated her friendship but cherished it and would be forever grateful to her, for not only being in her life but trusting her enough to bring others she cared about into it also.' With that she had left with a soft click of the door and Darcy wasn't even a little ashamed to say that she cried for a good half an hour whilst washing her mask off.

Darcy threw her head back with a long groan; this was why she was happy to be at work and have her brain distracted with the weirdness her trio of toddlers bought her. It stopped her from dwelling on things that had her second guessing her decision to leave, because she did have to leave, she did. It was a logical choice, not an emotional one, Darcy knew that she would need space and time and she was also aware that Clint would need it too even if he was the one to end their relationship; one thing Darcy had never questioned was that Clint had loved her, she just wasn't sure if it was still the case (being called a 'mistake' could really make a girl doubt herself, no matter evolved and fucking kick ass they were) and she thought he needed to figure that out.

Darcy Lewis maybe young but she was not naive, she knew full well that love didn't necessarily last forever (thanks to the devastating divorce her parents had subjected her too when she was in junior high, oh, how she loved being a pawn in that little war) and if it was the case that Clint had fallen out of love with her, she definitely had to have to give herself the chance to do the same; and though she was aware of how stupidly huge the Tower was (she'd lost count of how many times she had to ask JARVIS for directions after trying to navigate all the floors and just getting progressively more lost, she'd be embarrassed except she was almost certain she was impervious to the feeling thanks to the thick layers of snark and sarcasm she possessed) but you would be surprised how often you ran into someone you really didn't want to (Read: Steve and his shame inducing looks when he tracks you down, like the super soldier he is, and gets you to admit that: yes you did enable the adult pay-per-view channels on his apartment TV and yes, you know he's not a virgin but it has been a few decades and some pointers wouldn't go amiss.) So, yeah; totally still moving.

Darcy dropped her head forward and sighed, her eyes already feeling the familiar burn of tears at the prospect of going into her bedroom. She just knew from the nostalgia attack that the rest of her apartment had given her, that this was pretty much going to be an overload of overwrought and truly shitty flashbacks if she didn't get a handle on herself and goddamn if she wanted to go to her meeting with Fury and Coulson with red puffy eyes, nothing said 'I'm a freaking professional' more than obvious cry face. So she pulled up proverbial big girl panties and stalked into her room.

She let out a low breath and went to her garment bags and flicked through her options until she found her 'hells yeah, I know I look fuckable dress' that Natasha had forced her to buy saying 'that if she ever had the urge to be with a woman again, that dress would be a deal closer' that had Darcy tilting her head and saying 'one: we are so coming back to that little tid bit later, don't think we're not and two: I don't think I appreciate my Sapphic allure being reduced to just this dress, I like to think my winning personality and curves that don't quit, according to Steve, would be enough of a deal closer' Natasha smirked mischievously and told her as her eyes swept her figure 'that, trust her, they were' they were silent for a moment before bursting into peals of laughter and Tasha nudging Darcy to the sales lady to buy the dress.

Just because she preferred to wear loose jeans, baggy, comfortable sweaters and even comfier shoes that didn't make her want to cut off her poor abused feet at the end of a day of wrangling scientists (she had no idea how Pepper managed it, although she didn't imagine it was a coincidence that when she was home and off the clock, which admittedly wasn't too often, being a CEO was tough shit guys, she was perpetually barefoot) didn't mean that she didn't know how to doll herself up and work with what her mother gave her.

She then picked out her best pair of heals that had been a birthday gift from Maria Hill a few months previously (for a woman who was nearly always in her seriously banging SHIELD cat-suit, for real Hill could pull that look off, she definitely knew what shoes made your legs look toned and as if they went on for miles; which was a total need for Darcy and her, often commented on, shortness, or 'hobbit-like height' according to Tony when he was feeling particularly put upon when she was trying to make sure he slept and other such inconveniences, so he wouldn't, you know, -die-)

Then, deciding that she might need a little extra confidence boost, she went through the boxes she knew to contain her underwear draw and found her boring, comfortable stuff for work first before digging out her newest lingerie, that just so happened to be her sexiest yet, all shear lace, yeah she knew what she was doing when she got that set. It was also a bonus that, although, she had gotten them for the sole purpose of making Clint go completely non-verbal, he had dumped her fabulous ass (made even more fabulous by the black and purple lace boy shorts) before he had the chance to enjoy them; so Darcy was maybe doing a little 'you have no idea what you're missing right now' but whatevs, it made her feel better and everything else she'd been doing was so that he felt comfortable, so she was going to allow herself the silent vindictiveness.

She was also pretty damn proud of herself that she could be in the room where some of the sexiest, happiest, calmest and safest parts of her relationship with Clint took place and not let herself cry as she had been want to do the past two weeks.

Darcy looked to her bed, stripped bare and smiled sadly; allowing her mind to wander (because apparently she's a masochist and likes to see how far she can push herself before a breakdown, she's just emotionally stable like that) to all the times Clint would come back from a mission in the dead of night and she would feel the bed dip under the pressure of his weight on his side of the bed, the one closest to the window, the nearest point of ingress, he would then scoot under the covers wrap his ridiculously strong arms around her waist just under breast and hold her tightly, while he nuzzled his face into the space between her neck and shoulder, breathing her in deeply, making a happy noise, before releasing a long exhale as she felt his body relax behind her; Darcy would then fall asleep with a smile and bubble of happiness that always appeared in her chest when she knew he was safe and relatively unhurt if he was in bed with her and not in medical. Clint would then wake her up before her alarm was due to go off, with small kisses to her chest getting progressively higher up her neck, his perpetual state of five o'clock shadow scraping her skin with a delicious friction; getting under her ear, across her jaw to her cheek and chin before lingering on her lips kissing her breathless; before saying 'good morning, beautiful' with a smile that had his eyes crinkling and her heart swelling with just how much she loved the man. She would return the greeting and tell him that she missed him and he would return with his requisite 'not as much as I missed you, Darce' before kissing her again, until the point where she blinked owlishly to see straight when he pulled back to look at her seriously, his expression only softened by the feeling behind his words 'I love you'. He always did that, Darcy noticed, waited until he was sure she was listening, really listening, before he said it to her, as if he was willing her to feel that he meant every word, they weren't just flippantly said in a post coital, orgasmic haze, but were said when he knew that Darcy would 100% believe him; and she did, every time. She would, in return, reach her hand to his face and run her fingertips over his brow, to his cheek, over his jaw to trace his lips as she smiled softly, said 'I know, I love you too. So much.' And kiss him softly.

Darcy shook herself from her memories knowing that they weren't going to lead her anywhere good and she had pushed her resolve just enough; and focused on picking out what she was going to wear for work the next day (which was just a variation of jeans, a sweater with ducklings, because cute, and comfy shoes) and put everything back in the moving boxes. She looked around her room to see if she'd missed anything and she knows she hasn't in the rest of her apartment JARVIS told her that much; she's also sure she hasn't in her bedroom seems as Pepper, a person more organized than she is helped her pack (whilst drinking some ridiculously expensive red wine which Darcy's pallet wasn't yet sophisticated enough to appreciate, she was still very much in her Jaeger phase, but she definitely appreciated the warm buzz it gave her,) when her eyes land on 'the box'.

Fuck that box. Darcy seriously hated it and no amount of time spent on Tumblr looking at babies dressed as vegetables or dogs with sunglasses with their tongues hanging out could make her feel better when she thinks about that fucking box. She walked towards it like she was afraid it'd blow up with all the angsty feels it contained, knowing that it wouldn't be coming with her to her new apartment and tried to think of what she can do with it. She could ask JARVIS if she still had access to Clint's room without permission for when he was out of town, and leave it there for him, but she wasn't sure if she could deal with yet another rejection at the hands of the archer if JARVIS said no. She might be able to put it in Tasha's, she knows she has access to her room, but Darcy really didn't want to involve her.

Deciding to deal with it later she jumbles all her things into her arms and starts towards her front door asking JARVIS to 'please open it' for her, which he does with an 'of course Miss Darcy' he also informs her that he will be directing the movers as to where to place her belongings in her new home so she 'need not worry'. Darcy gives her thanks and starts towards the guest quarters. She's so engrossed in her thoughts and her attempts not to drop all her shit, she walks straight into the solid wall that usually answers to Thor.

"Oh, shit, sorry, Big Guy." Darcy splutters as Thor grasps her upper arms to steady her as what she was holding falls to the floor.

"That is quite alright Lady Darcy, it is I who should apologise, I rather thought you would have noticed me; it is not often that my bulk goes unnoticed." Thor said with a warm smile. Darcy smiled back and bent to retrieve her things when Thor placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Leaning down himself he hefted her things with ease in one arm and offered his other for Darcy to loop hers through. Darcy blushed as she always did when Thor was his chivalrous self. (And really, like she was going to forgo the opportunity to feel up Thor's alien arms, it's one of her biggest guilty pleasures and she indulges in it regularly, much to Thor's genuine delight.)

"Thank you." She said softly as she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. Thor looked down at Darcy with a tilt of his head and a small frown on his lips, which was quite unusual for the man and it worried Darcy slightly. "What's the matter, Buddy?" she asked.

"That is what I wish to ask you, Lady Darcy. I have noted with great concern that you have seemed particularly, " Thor paused for a moment searching for the right words, "distant and sad. This alarms and distresses me as you are one of my closest friends and confidants, not to mention that you are as close to a sister to my Ladies Jane and Sif can get without blood."

Darcy startled slightly, she wasn't surprised Thor had noticed her change in mood, he may not know Midgardian customs very well (although Darcy was getting through them as they happened, no more smashing tableware but the breaking into Asgardian song in the middle of Michelin star restaurants was taking a little more time than she hoped, especially when he smuggled in his own alcohol from across the Bi-frost, not that she would be opposed to frisking him for a flask) but he was very attuned to those he cared about and Darcy being one of the lucky few had taken to avoiding her friend since her break up for this very reason. "I'm fine, Thor, just moving stress and you know how my work is never nine to five, lack of sleep makes Darcy a cranky bunny." She tried to play it off hoping he'd buy it. She really hated lying to him, but she couldn't tell him about Clint for the same reasons she couldn't tell Bruce or anyone. It also wasn't just her business, if everyone was to know, it would have to be a joint decision between her and Barton; and if they hadn't told their friends about the relationship why would they tell them about the break up?

"No, Lady Darcy, you are not 'a cranky bunny'" Darcy couldn't help the snort that escaped her at Thor's deep voice using a 'Darcyism'. Thor just continued on "I have seen you 'cranky' as you say, this is not that, this is a great sadness and one that you have tried to hide from those who care for you. I see you Darcy Lewis, when you think that you are alone or that no one can see your face, I have witnessed how the facade you have put up falls and reveals your true emotions. So please, do not say you are fine and let me help." Thor asked quietly. Darcy swallowed thickly and kept her eyes trained on the floor and just kept leading Thor to her room she would use for the night, not trusting herself to respond, she had suspected he had noticed but not to that extent.

She wished she was the type of person who could unburden themselves on another person, she just wasn't. Darcy was so used to keeping things to herself that she didn't really know how to let her guard down; well, not until Clint, he had managed to get pass all of her defences and have her opening up about things she didn't talk about to anyone, ever. (And look how well that worked out; you feel like shit and your friends are worried about you A+ effort, Lewis, Jesus) but he did the same with her, about his truly shitty childhood, his brother, the circus and how much of a toll it took being a sniper; feeling like he was only good for killing. And that was one of the many things she couldn't understand about the break up, she thought she had been helping him see himself another way, she had certainly seen him lessen his own burden, as if just having loved her and been loved completely in return had helped fix a little corner of his soul, but if that were true than why had he regretted their relationship and called it a mistake?

Darcy hated going around in circles in her own head looking for answers it was a frustrating and futile folly; especially when she knew that the only person who could answer her questions was also the one person it physically hurt to think about seeing, let alone talking to. In particular, because the last time she had spoken to him she had quite literally –begged- him to talk to her, to try and sort out what was bothering him and causing the complete 180 degree turn on their relationship, going as far to hold his hand to stop him from leaving and pleading with him to stay as she, honest to God, sobbed; but he'd disentangled his hand from her grip and left without a backwards look to whatever mission he was now returning from.

Luckily for Darcy they had reached the room, so she didn't have to think how royally screwed this situation was getting. Darcy took a deep breath and put on a smile, which was as big as it was fake, before she looked up into Thor's concerned gaze. She saw the moment his concern mingled with disappointment at her obvious refusal of his help.

"Thor, I truly appreciate the concern and I won't lie and say I'm fine anymore, but I will get better, promise." She leaned up onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek as she opened the door and went to take her box and clothes, but he shook his head again and motioned for her to go in before him. She walked in front of him and heard the door closing and she steeled herself; obviously he was being a stubborn Asgardian today. She turned to face him as he walked pass her to place the box in the bedroom and then returned to stand leaned against the side of the sofa. "Really, Thor, I'm going to be fine, I just need some time and space to figure my shit out. As much as I love you for wanting to help, there truly is nothing you can do, this is down to me; but if I think of anything I promise to ask."

Thor sighed but nodded, "I trust you Lady Darcy and I know that you would never break a promise." He then smiled slightly, "JARVIS has informed me that my assistance is no longer needed to move you to your new home. I must say I was quite looking forward to the feats of strength and reward of sustenance. Even if I do not agree with your decision to leave us I would have enjoyed some time with you and my Lady Jane, like it once was." Thor admitted slightly wistfully.

"And Bruce, he was going to help also." She reminded to which Thor nodded in acknowledgement. "But think of it this way: now I have my own place, we can make times where it will just be the three of us. And if you really think you're missing out on showing off your muscles and eating, I'll let you bench press me a few dozen times and order in a few dozen pizzas for the effort." Darcy only half joked. Thor seemed to perk up at the idea and was about to respond when JARVIS cut in.

"Miss Darcy, you have your meeting with Director Fury and Agent Coulson at SHIELD HQ in thirty minutes, your car and driver is waiting for you in the sub-level garage. Also Miss Darcy, your belongings have arrived at your home and I am currently instructing the movers as to where to place your items as we discussed, I assure you that it will to your satisfaction." JARVIS informed her in his dry British way that Darcy loved.

"Thank you, JARV, could you please tell Seth I'll be five minutes and inform my charges down in the labs that I'll be back to check on them when my meeting with the brass is over; and to not blow anything up in the meantime?" Darcy asked completely serious, when she was away for too long Tony tended to act up from lack of attention, even negative attention like when she yelled at him for blowing up a lab, again.

"As you wish, Miss Darcy."

Darcy looked back to Thor with a smile that was a lot more genuine. "Well, Muscles, duty calls. Time to face down Fury and Phil on science things and whatever Tony has done piss them off this time." Thor smiled at her, one that she recognised as being his playful puppy pout and before she could even let out 'what are you doing?' he had strode towards her and gathered her up in his arms to his oh, so, solid chest, lifting her from the floor, his face in her hair and hers under his chin with her arms around his shoulders.

"I truly hope that you get your happiness back soon, my friend," he told her squeezing her slightly, "and remember, if I can assist you in any way please do not hesitate to call upon me. You have been there for me and everyone else who has frequented this Tower more times than I can remember; believe that we would do the same for you." Thor stood there holding Darcy for a while longer, until he placed her gently to the floor and smiled.

"I think you put too much into what I did around here, I only do what any friend would do, it just so happened I lived with all mine." Darcy said slightly embarrassed by Thor's praise. "I'm no Saint, bud."

"No, not a Saint, but the best friend I could ask for myself and the people I care for." Thor countered, cupping her cheek. Her eyes swam slightly and she blinked quickly, reaching a hand up and patting the one on her face. Stepping back, still holding his hand and giving it a slight squeeze before placing it at his side.

"Now, I really have to go, you don't want to see how Fury gets when someone's late." She smiled again and checked the messenger bag she had on to make sure she had all the necessities: keys, phone, id badge, wallet, tissues, pens and, of course, her trusty taser.

"Do you require an escort? Because I would gladly accompany you to this meeting if you believe Fury will treat you unjustly." Thor asked and Darcy giggled, an actual giggle, at the idea that Fury would have a go at her, he might give her a look and do some deep breathing (like what Clint was known to do when Darcy had done something to piss him off) but that was as far as Nick Fury ever went in reprimanding Darcy Lewis; she always got the impression he didn't quite know how to react to her; as if each meeting he was adding more to the puzzle he had of her in his head; and Darcy didn't know whether to be amused, thrilled or terrified so just decided on being all three, because she was many things and being an excellent multi-tasker was very much one of them.

"No, thank you, I can handle Fury. See you at dinner Thor, its Steve's chilli night." With that she left to head down the garage.


	3. Chapter 3

The drive to SHIELD HQ was uneventful; but Darcy did give herself a mental pep talk on not thinking about Barton. Which would admittedly be difficult seems as she was entering the place he worked; but let it not be said that Darcy Lewis backed down from a challenge.

Darcy exited the car with a thank you to Seth, the driver, and an assurance she would text him when her meeting was done. She entered the non- descript office building (as super secret government agencies were known to do, apparently. It was always such a disappointment. Was it really too much to ask for a kick ass, underground lair? According to Phil: it was. At least that's what he said every time Darcy bought it up, which was nearly every time she saw him at HQ. Along with whether or not he had heard from Sif lately, because she was freaking determined to get them freaking) that was SHIELD HQ and walked to the reception desk when she heard her name being called. Darcy turned to see Maria Hill walking towards her and she automatically smiled.

Darcy –adored- Maria. She loved her no nonsense attitude to everything and her 'I'm not going to take your shit so don't even try it' eyebrow raises, that had grown ass men and women alike to quiver in their combat boots.

Walking over to her, Darcy quirked an eyebrow, "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your esteemed company, Assistant Director Hill?" she asked in her best Pepper Potts voice. Maria just smiled and signalled Darcy to follow her to the elevator. Once inside Darcy turned to Maria and noticed the office -wear she was rocking: white silk blouse, black pencil skirt and kitten heels (seriously she didn't need to be any taller so her choice of low heal pleased Darcy immensely) and she openly smirked big and proud at the woman who could use one of said kitten heels to kill her twelve different ways, probably more; but Darcy didn't have the SHIELD shoe killing training, so she couldn't know the exact amount.

"Stop it." Maria warned, but Darcy could see the small smile at the corner of her lips so knew she wasn't actually that bothered. "I have to where this when we come to HQ. My SHIELD custom leathers don't exactly scream 'office worker bee'" Maria explained.

"No, your leathers definitely don't scream 'office worker bee' rather they whisper 'let's give Darcy very confusing dreams involving Maria wearing us and being alone in an empty Quinjet together'." Darcy drawled seductively, getting the exact reaction she wanted: Maria laughing out loud. She was always beyond pleased when that came from the usually stoic Agent.

"Damnit, Darcy you have been spending way too much time with Stark." Maria said through her laughter.

"Hazard of the job, I'm afraid. Can't really avoid it when I'm his babysitter. Not that I mind; I actually kind of love the man, even if he is in a perpetual state of adolescence." Darcy mused.

"Maybe not for long if this meeting goes how I hope." Maria replied cryptically, looking at Darcy from the corner of her eye as they reached the floor that had Director Fury's office and several high profile conference rooms. They exited the elevator and walked down a deserted hallway.

"What? You have a way for Tony to become a real man and not the man-boy he is currently? Because I don't think it'll work unless it's a life time worth of therapy that has him talking about his monumental daddy issues, because, oh, boy did Stark senior do a number on him." Darcy said, only slightly joking. Yeah, she had issues with her father, but at least she didn't have to live in his shadow and worry about never being good enough; not that Tony would ever admit to that. Darcy had to do a lot of reading between the lines when it came to talking to Tony, and trying to discern what issue was bothering him at that moment, so she could try and make him feel better; but he was worth the extra effort in her eyes.

Maria huffed out a small laugh and ushered Darcy to a small waiting room with one her 'serious Maria looks' that always caused Darcy to worry. "Maria? Ok, I'm starting to think this isn't my usual Phil/Fury chinwag about my nerds." Darcy deduced from the tension she was suddenly feeling between her shoulder blades, which usually signalled that Tony had done something bad and was attempting to lessen the damage before she found out.

"Darcy, I'm going to ask a favour of you: I need you to keep an open mind and listen to what everyone has to say before you make any definitive decisions, ok?" Maria said, searching Darcy's eyes for something. Darcy was sure that all she could actually find was confusion and hesitancy. (Because seriously, this shit was sounding a lot like a fucking intervention and she could give up her Jaeger whenever she wanted, she just didn't want to. And she sure as shit did not need her bosses telling her how she should deal with her crap; especially when they seemed to find great glee in shovelling more on the heap) "Darcy, this could be a very good thing for you and the Avengers, you just need to be willing to try something new." Maria tried again.

"Fine, but I swear to Christ Maria, if there are a bunch of people in that room, that have heartfelt letters about how my behaviour has negatively impacted their lives, I'm gonna flip a table." Darcy warned as she motioned for Maria to open the door.

"What?" Maria asked doing a quick double take of Darcy and the door. Darcy just shook her head.

"Open the door, please, Maria." Darcy said making the universal hand signal of 'let's get this over with.'

"Remember: be open to change, Darcy." Maria repeated as she opened the door to the conference room. Darcy rolled her eyes in response (her entire life was waiting for the other fucking Jackboot to drop and turn her life up on its God damn head, of course she was open to change; silly Assistant Director of a crazy secret organization) and followed Hill inside, stopping dead in her tracks at what she walked into.

"Ok. So, Holy fuck, not an intervention about my love of all things Jaeger, then." Darcy said eyes wide as she scanned the faces of the crowded conference table and settled on Maria's; who was standing next to her trying to gauge her reaction beyond shock. "It's not nice to spring a room full of superheroes on a woman, Maria. And just FYI this isn't a change for me I walked out of the elevators at Avenger Tower this morning to a scene just like this. Except those heroes were eating breakfast in their pyjamas."

"Darcy-" Maria started but Darcy cut her off.

"So, if this isn't, in fact, an intervention; would anyone object to me getting Fury's PA to go grab me a bottle of the good stuff from his desk? Because I think I'm gonna need it." She said turning to address the room who just looked amused. Darcy usually would have been glad to have cut through any tension except she was totally serious on the drink.

"Miss Lewis, Agent Hill, why don't you take your seats." Fury said gesturing to the two free seats at the head of the table, nearest the door, at the opposite end from where he and Coulson were sitting. Darcy frowned suspiciously to their end, switching between Coulson and Fury as she slowly lowered herself in to her chair vaguely aware of Maria doing the same, but obviously with a lot less hesitation, suspicion and glaring; because she knew what the hell was going on.

"Not that I don't love to see two of my fave Homo sapiens superior; you know how I loathe the term mutants," Darcy said as she turned to address an always composed Ororo Munroe and smirking Logan, with a pleased grin, before shifting her gaze to her left side of the table "or half of the most Fantastical of Foursomes," she said with a nod and smile of acknowledgement to a smiling Susan Storm Richards; and always in some state of irritation when away from his lab, her husband Dr Reed Richards "but what possible reason is there for me being involved in this brain trust of superior proportion; and yes I'm including my Agents three in this." Darcy asked waving her hand between Hill, Coulson and Fury who all had their 'Agent of no emotion faces' on. She hated it when they did that; it never meant anything good for her.

"A job offer, of sorts. More like a favour which will require a lot of time and effort on your part." Fury said as his one eye found Darcy's, who just tilted her head and pursed her lips.

"I already have a job 'of sorts', Director. The one that Stark gave me and you approved. You know, where I try and keep two of your Avengers alive and not blow too much shit up, which, just a chance to brag: best month yet; we only lost three labs. Two in my opinion, but apparently Tony won't work in something smoke damaged. He'll set his bed on fire but he still refuses to sleep in it when the flames are gone." Darcy informed the director with a double thumbs up, bringing her shoulders to her ears. Coulson let out something akin to a snort, which was hastily covered by a cough and had Darcy grinning.

"Miss Lewis" But Darcy cut him off with a negative noise, scrunched nose and a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Nope, we've had this conversation, Director, it's just Darcy. Seriously, if I could do a Madonna and just go by one name, I would. Or, oooh, P!nk! Because I would love some punctuation in my name, but none of my letters seem to lend themselves to it." Fury was about to interrupt but Darcy carried on knowing his objections "And yes, Tony calls me 'Lewis' but that's because of his fear of intimacy with new people he cares about; I'm working on it. And Thor calls me 'Lady Darcy' I'm also aware, but that always has some dirty undertones to it, that I know he knows that I enjoy immensely and is more of a term of endearment if anything, anyway. Although, now thinking about it, that may be why Tony calls me 'Lewis'? He's the only one that does and is just for the two of us?" Darcy asked no one in particular as she turned her eyes up in thought before looking back at Fury and saying "I'll think on that one. But, yeah, no 'Miss Lewis'. Not even for the Director of SHIELD." Darcy finished her tangent and looked around the table to receive looks ranging from endearment (Sue and Phil) puzzlement (Reed) to amusement (Ororo and Hill who were both trying to hide it and Logan who was openly smiling).

"What about JARVIS?" Phil piped up after a few moments of silence that would have been bordering of uncomfortable. "He calls you Miss Darcy." He clarified at the raised eyebrow he got in question to his query.

"Ah, yes, JARVIS. Well as much as much as we love each other, he can only go against his AI programming so much; so 'Miss Darcy' was a compromise we reached after a few intensive hours of negotiating, one Sunday afternoon whilst I was doing my laundry. Plus, Tony's being a stubborn ass and won't change his directives. He seems to think that 'his' AI listens to me too much as it is, and doesn't think JARV and I need the 'added familiarity' of being on a 'solely first name basis'." Darcy explained with a slight frown. She had genuine affection for the AI and considered him to be a friend (And she could give less of a fuck when people gave her that 'aw, isn't Darcy cute having an emotional connection with a disembodied voice' look. JARVIS was more helpful, polite and more fun to be around than some assholes she could mention) and the fact she was being kept from being more of a friend, sort of upset her. Especially now he was going to be, for all intents and purposes, her roommate.

"Well, Darcy," Fury said with added emphasis which made her grin and bite her lip in appreciation "what I was going to say before that revealing departure from the point; was that your current job isn't just taking care of two of the Avengers" Darcy cut him off again which the Director seemed –thrilled- about.

"Oh, and Jane. Mustn't forget Janie; she'd be crying into her tequila and telescopes if she thought I was remiss enough to leave her out." Darcy filled in helpfully. Fury took in a deep breath through his nose, closing his one eye and Maria put a hand on Darcy's arm, and with a shake of her head that Darcy read as: 'Dude, stop interrupting a guy who can call in a drone strike and kill you where you sit'. Darcy winked, clicked her tongue and pointed finger guns at her and said "Gotcha. No more conversation interruptus. Go ahead Director, I promise no more colour commentary from the peanut gallery." Darcy said, making the motions of zipping and locking her lips then throwing the key to Maria, who refused to 'catch it'. Darcy just narrowed her eyes and scowled at the woman sitting next to her. (Fun 'girl's night' Maria would totally have caught and kept her key for safe keeping)

"Thank you for your great sacrifice." Fury dead panned and received a sweet, closed mouth smile in response. "Your job may on paper be, to assist Foster, Stark and Banner but we all know you do much more than that. You have infused yourself into the lives of each and every Avenger without ill intent or malice. Instead you took it upon yourself, without prompting or incentive other than concern, to care for them and take them under your wing. I will admit that to begin with I was concerned with your level of influence-" Darcy snorted and Fury tilted his head, "You don't believe you have pull where it comes to the Avengers strings?" he asked with a raised, incredulous brow. Darcy just shrugged, taking her vow to remain silent seriously, Damnit. "Darcy, do you not think it strange, that as the Director of the entirety of SHIELD, I didn't send someone in my stead to accompany Coulson to our monthly meetings with you?" Darcy shrugged one shoulder, because, yeah, she did find it odd. But she always put it down to her having the most contact with the scientists and could cliff notes all the science! Mumbo jumbo and didn't think much more on it. Fury smirked as if he could read her thoughts (which for all Darcy knew he was totally capable; Nick Fury could definitely be a Charles Xavier on the sly) "the reason I came to the meetings, was to see for myself what a team of super heroes, Pepper Potts and my very own Agents" he motioned to Hill and Coulson "saw. And, I must say, over the course of our meetings, you have impressed me."

Darcy's eyes widened and she blushed, full red and ducked her head at the praise. Only to raise it and pout at Logan who had chuckled at her, seemingly, uncharacteristic impish response; and smile in gratitude at Ororo who slapped his bicep. (What she didn't particularly like praise, call it a character flaw).

Fury carried on regardless "you have an uncanny ability to read a person and seek out their wants and needs and get them whatever it is to satisfy them."  
Darcy could have laughed out loud at her supposed ability to 'read a person' if she didn't even know why the man she loved had left her in a puddle of tears. (Why her brain chooses to go to her biggest pain when she's receiving praise from a man who rarely gave it, Darcy didn't know and wouldn't even consider the amount of therapy it would take to uncover, because it made her noggin ache.)

"Your openly warm and giving nature has ensnared even the most stubborn, solitary, outwardly cold and out of their depths members of my team." Fury explained, "I have seen firsthand how you can mediate conflicts between the biggest of personality clashes and with the new project we are about to embark on, everyone at this table believes you, and only you, can help to facilitate the changes necessary." Darcy remained silent and not because of her vow of silence but because she was genuinely speechless. It was a feeling that made Darcy uncomfortable as she was a renowned motor mouth; it was one of best character traits. (Or flaws, in some people's opinion; but fuck them and the mono syllabic horse they rode in on. Darcy was verbose and proud.)

She was still staring at Fury when she felt a nudge on her arm. She looked to her right from Logan's half smirk down to the hip flask he was tapping against her hand. "It might not be 'the good stuff' but it'll get you where you need to go, sweetheart." He said with a wink and placed the drink in front of her. She opened the top and took a long swig, the alcohol burned her throat (yech, bourbon, but he was right: she felt calmer already. And Goddamn, she was totally going to have her alcohol consumption intervened upon one of these days) before she replaced the cap. Logan leaned to get his flask back but Darcy was quicker, grabbing it up and holding it to her chest, pouting. She had a feeling she would need some more liquid courage in the not so distant future. Logan let out a laugh put his hands up in surrender and leaned back in his chair.

Darcy looked back to Fury, spun her pointer finger in the air to tell him to 'carry on'. Choosing to ignore the looks of bemusement from the married superheroes. Sue didn't looked shocked, hell, how could she? Her brother was Johnny 'Man Whore' Storm. Darcy's day drinking was nothing compared to his newsworthy antics (scorching his name into the grass of central park just for laughs was a particular favourite of Darcy's). But she'd promised The Director silence and Maria an open mind so she needed more info. Fury smirked slightly and nodded to Maria to continue.

"The new project will be headed up by me," Maria said to Darcy, twisting in her chair to address her properly. "due to the unprecedented number of alien and super-villain incursions of late, it has been decided to combine the resources of The X-Men" Maria gestured to Storm and Wolverine "The Fantastic Four" nodding to the Invisible Woman and Mr Fantastic (Darcy always found that name douchey. Being a bendy motherfucker wasn't fantastic. She'd concede it could be very interesting in bed, but she just spent the last nine months having awesome acrobatic sex, so she wasn't overly impressed. And it may be useful for short people, like her, in a supermarket, where getting to top shelves was like climbing a rock wall; but other than that, meh. Also, he was always all 'my stretching is expendable; my mind is my true super power' which made Darcy gag. Not even Tony freaking Stark was that much of a dick about his smarts)

"And The Avengers." Maria finished, gesturing to herself, Darcy, Phil and Fury, which made Darcy frown; that they were the Avengers representatives without being Avengers. She filed that grievance away for later consideration and nodded that she was following this train of thought and Maria carried on. "What we need is you to help us get the Avengers team on board with the new initiative and to then negotiate on their behalf" Maria studied Darcy again before continuing "the decision to offer you this position was not made lightly; it has been six months in the making, Darcy. And nor was it made because we think that we could use you to unduly influence your friends. We see you as someone who can condense the needs and objections of those you care for in an eloquent and concise manner; whilst lessening any suspicions and doubts the team may have on the merging of powers." Maria stopped talking and waited for Darcy to respond. When she was silent for too long Fury cut in.

"It is very much encouraged you talk now, Darcy." He said with a slight smile. Darcy took another long drink from Logan's flask, cleared her throat of the burn and handed it back to him with a smile of thanks.

"So What you're saying is: that you want me to play representative for the Avengers and make sure they join this super team, while trying to ensure that it would be a harmonious and happy union in the long run. Yeah, I sound perfect for that job. Are you insane?! I am no way near qualified for that. Don't you have minions who have been, I don't know, trained for shit like this?! Just because I can deal with Tony Stark and his 'tude does not make me the right person for the stupidly massive responsibility you guys are trying to foist on me." Darcy exclaimed feeling slightly hysterical. She was so not in any place to be dealing with this right now. Newly single, new apartment and now a new job no matter how temporary; no, way too much.

Or was it? She did know her friends really well and knew how to translate their brand of crazy for the masses. And she knew that she, and most likely she alone, would be the only person capable of getting them to sit at the negotiation table; and that would only be after convincing them that it was an idea worth listening to (Which she thought it was. Everyone needed some super powered assistance, once in a while. Like when she got Steve to open jars for her; although this had more of a world saving vibe than Darcy getting her pickles.)

Her merry band of heroes had some well founded misgivings when it came to SHIELD and their intentions; and it would take them trusting that her intentions were pure and had them solely in mind, which was something they wouldn't get from a SHIELD suit. Ugh ok, she was the best person for the job and she wouldn't trust it with anyone else, "alright, so what would I actually have to do? Sit in on the introductory meeting, make them listen and then have them tell me their thoughts, concerns and demands? Then, what, negotiate on their behalf? "

"Yes, you would be the point person for any and all issues the Avengers have with the draft agreement that the Fantastic Four and the X-Men have already agreed on. To have one voice that we know they trust is most useful when in negotiations." Coulson said softly, seeming to understand Darcy's change of mind. Darcy nodded her understanding.

"Obviously this is some kind of treaty right? You guys are saying that if any of you are threatened and need assistance and ask for it the other teams have to come for the save? Because it wouldn't make sense for you all to work together all the time, that'd just be overkill." Darcy deduced receiving impressed looks from Fury and Richards. But it was Storm who spoke.

"I knew you were the right choice." Ororo said with a smile and Darcy frowned slightly. It sounded like Ororo was alluding to something beyond being the voice of the Avengers. (That still kind of made her feel a little sick. Just because she had their trust didn't mean she had the ability to get them what they wanted in a situation like this, but again, never back down from a challenge. Although, that mindset is what had her breaking her knee when she was dared to jump from her childhood homes roof onto a trampoline when she was eight.) Darcy pushed the thought aside; she so didn't have the brain space to postulate on that, right now. "Basically, yes." Storm continued "When one team is in need of help the other two a required to do so, but it is also an exchange of ideas and technology and this is where we find you will be of most use. It is easy to overcome ones differences when in the heat of battle and have a common enemy, but people can become proprietary over what is theirs and struggle to share. From what Director Fury tells us and the reports we have read it suggests you have a lot of experience in dealing with such personalities." Storm said, obviously referring to the fights Darcy had arbitrated between Stark and Jane who both had a 'mine, mine all mine' mindset to their research. Darcy sighed, small, but audible.

"That's different; you do understand that I treat them like children half the time don't you. Literally, I have a naughty corner and a robot to guard them so they don't leave it before I say so." Darcy said eyes wide, willing them to understand that she wasn't magical; she just had a short fuse for dealing with people being brats and trying to bull shit her. "That's how I deal with Stark and Jane when they aren't willing to share, but half of that is them posturing. They would both give in eventually because they are of the 'inner circle of science' I just hasten the timeline. But you guys," Darcy motioned the two different sets of heroes "are outsiders, and I can't see them letting you guys in." They all nodded and were quiet, realising that these meetings were not going to be happy, happy, fun times; Darcy was getting a migraine from just imagining the shrill levels of indignation Tony was going to reach when learning he may have to share some of his work.

"That is what these negotiations are for Darcy. Reed has the same resistance to sharing his research also; but over time he has become more willing to do so when we all realised the cross benefits of sharing." Sue said softly seemingly seeing the difficult position she has been put in.

"I can understand why Stark and Banner would be resistant to outside interference but I've come to see it being for the greater good and I believe they would too, if given the time." Reed said sincerely and maybe Darcy was reconsidering her 'douchey' thoughts from before. Maybe he just knew how much good he could do with his brain and sometimes let his manners slide, poor social skills perhaps, but not meant maliciously. Darcy nodded again. She had nodded so many goddamn times this meeting she was starting to feel like a bobble head. She looked to Maria and smiled.

"Questions?" Hill asked with a tilt of her head. Darcy inclined her head and let out a small breath; she already knew the answer to her question would not be pleasing or make her situation any easier.

"Just a few; why aren't any of the Avengers here? You have some X – Men and half of the Fantastic Four but no Avengers." Darcy noted how everyone looked vaguely uncomfortable. (Freaking awesome, really, she loved it when super heroes got shifty it always meant such fun for her)

"We wanted all of our ducks in a row before introducing the Avengers into it personally. Because of the disjointed infrastructure of their team they would be the hardest to convince on a whole. Too many singular opinions to be involved in the preliminary stages of the unification process." Maria explained with a slight grimace. Darcy sighed, feeling the start of a headache; sometimes being able to connect the dots really sucked.

"So what you're saying is that they have no clue that these little team meetings have been taking place; let alone that they're going to be expected to become part of a much larger game that's already in play and they have had no say in how the board has been set." Darcy construed and not happily. When she was met with silence Darcy groaned long and hard. "They are going to be pissed, guys. You intentionally left them out; and whilst I can understand it, I don't even like it, you can imagine how they're going to feel. This is such a clusterfuck to launch from. I can guarantee you that they are going to feel on the back foot and come out defensive when they get to this meeting and that is going to be a shitty mindset for negotiations." Darcy said pressing the heels of her hands in her eyes (Super spies/heroes? More like super idiots.) "If I could realise that in the time of this meeting, how did you not, in the months you've been actively ignoring the third point of the trifecta. Jesus Christ." She lowered her hands from her face and levelled disbelieving looks at everyone awaiting a response. Phil was the only brave one among them, it would seem, as he was the only one to speak up.

"It seemed the best choice at the time and as we progressed so did the meetings; we felt it right to negotiate around the Avengers before actively bringing them into the fold." Coulson tried to reason but even Darcy could see that it was 70% bullshit. Darcy pinched the bridge of her nose (yep, headache; Goddamn spies and their convoluted, half- cocked, fully fucked plans) and tried to think passed it to the team that she was expected to convince and talk for.

"The only ones I can be sure will be ok with this are Romanov and Barton and that's only because they trust Phil; and know he wouldn't involve them in something truly awful without talking to them first. Bruce will probably be onboard because I am and he trusts my judgement. Thor will be ok if it doesn't negatively affect Jane; and this better not negatively affect Jane. For real guys, don't mess with her. She's not an Avenger; leave her to her stars and if she wants in: she can." Darcy said with force, pointing her finger around the table waiting for their nods of agreement. Reed looking disappointed (well tough, no one was messing with her astrophysicist) before carrying on "but Steve and Tony are going to be royally fucked off. Steve has been jerked around too much by SHIELD already, for multiple lifetimes, and Tony will not like being forced into sharing his inventions." Darcy slumped forward and banged her head against her arms crossed on the tabletop for a few moments gathering her thoughts. Raising her head and sitting back Darcy continued "And I have to say for your opinion that they are 'disjointed' or whatever, I can pretty much promise that if even one of them is completely opposed to joining: they're all out. They are a team and family first and foremost, no matter how separate they may seem to the outside. They may have their individual projects but they assemble together when it's important and this is important." Darcy couldn't stress this enough, the Avengers were as much a team as any other, Damnit. They were also as much of a family; they lived together, celebrated holidays and birthdays, they argued and made up (the making up usually involved weaponry and a few hours in one of the gyms, but every family had their quirks) but more than that: when one was under fire they all were, solidarity in adversity.

"This is why we need your help." Coulson said with all the solemnity of a person who knew that mistakes were made. Darcy stared at him a long moment; Phil was the one to truly believe in the Avengers and the good they could do, so Darcy figured she should trust his judgement that this was the right move and try to convince the others; but..

"I will try my best; I make no promises, though. If they are utterly opposed I'm not going to push them into something that has them uncomfortable by using my relationship with them." They all nodded, pleased that she was still willing to make an attempt.

"What were your other questions?" Hill asked wanting to get passed the awkward, which Darcy could respect.

"When do you want the first meeting to take place? Because, I have some opinions on that craptastic congregation." Darcy said, strumming her fingers on the tabletop gaining a slight glare from Reed. Well fuck him, Darcy tended to tap a beat when organising her thoughts.

"We were hoping tomorrow afternoon, the sooner the better. We would call the team in and go from there." Coulson told her whilst Darcy shook her head in disagreement before he had even finished speaking.

"No, that won't work. For one Barton and Romanov won't be in any kind of headspace to deal with this after coming straight off mission. For, two: You tell them then shove them into a meeting, you are just asking for a fight." Darcy shook her head again "No, I'll tell them tonight at dinner and then involve Clint and Tasha when they have had some time to decompress. And considering tomorrow is Friday and no one wants to work on a Saturday, we'll set the first meeting for a tentative Monday afternoon. That will give my guys a chance to be less pissed and more prepared. It'll also give me more of a chance to get them used to the idea that, whilst this was all done behind their backs, they still hold all the cards; which make no mistake, they most certainly do." Darcy told the room with an authority that may have shocked her a little, the anger leeching back in that her buddies had been left out of something that directly fucking affected them, pissing her off. Hill looked around the room for confirmation and nodded.

"That would be acceptable; anything else?" Maria asked obviously hoping the answer was 'no'.

"Just one thing: can I go home now? It's been a day and freaking half already without this and it's only just gone two. Plus Bruce gets jittery if I'm gone from the labs for too long; and no one wants a stressed out scientist who, on his bad days, can take down entire city blocks." Darcy asked, suddenly feeling very exhausted. She needed a nap and like now, and oh, goddamn it, Tony would need one too. If he was going to at all cooperative in the coming treaty announcement, that was. (Maybe when she got back she could convince him to have a snooze until Steve called everyone down for dinner at seven. She knew Stark had done more on a lot less than just a little under 5 hours sleep, but she would prefer a little less of an irritable Iron Man when trying to talk him into something she was sure he would hate.)

She looked around the room and saw everyone nod that, 'yes, the meeting could come to an end'.

"Of course," Fury said getting up from the table and buzzing in his PA to the conference room, "thank you, Ms Munroe, Logan, Mrs and Dr Richards, for coming today. All goes well we shall see you Monday. We'll be in touch." His PA entered the opened the door "If you would go with my assistant she will take you to your cars." The super people left the room with handshakes and smiles for Darcy and one cheeky wink and 'be seein' ya, sweetheart' from Logan that had him smirking at the gathering blush on her cheeks, that Darcy was totally blaming on the alcohol she drank earlier and nothing else. (It had absolutely nothing to do with how his arms reminded her of Clint's or how he had the same mischievous twinkle in his eye. No, nope, not at all. Goddamn transference.)

When the room was cleared and only Hill, Coulson and Fury were left with Darcy she could feel a heavy silence that she didn't enjoy. "There's more, isn't there. Something you're not sure I'll react to well after all of that." She said motioning to the table. It wasn't a question; Darcy knew there was an extra surprise that she was really not looking forward to finding out.

"There's always more, Darcy; but for now, this is enough." Fury said before sweeping out of the room, his black trench coat whipping around his legs. (A bad ass he may be but he could really use some lessons in communication. But not on how to make a dramatic exit, obviously)

"I didn't get to invite him to my party." Darcy pouted as the door clicked shut. She turned to Hill and Coulson who were both wearing identical 'what is she chatting about now' faces "you two are coming, though, right?" Darcy asked, not bothering to ask what the 'more' in question was, knowing full well they wouldn't tell her if Fury wouldn't.

"What party?" Maria asked looking to Coulson who just shrugged in that 'I dunno' fashion of his.

"Tony's: 'Hello leather twins, laters Lewis' party, tomorrow night. Or in other words a welcome home party for Tash and Barton and leaving home party for me. Either way, it's an excuse for Tony to drink his feelings away." Darcy said putting her bag on and texting Seth that she was ready to be picked up. "Check your email; I'm sure you have an E-vite on there."

"Yeah; Stark's on our Spam lists. There's a limit to how many 'Dancing Iron Man' Gifs we can deal with; even with our training at withstanding torture techniques, ten a day got to be a little too close to what water boarding feels like." Maria said as her and Coulson pulled their phones out. (Darcy wouldn't be telling them that she was the one who created those Gif-sets, then) "Ah, here it is; 'you are cordially invited to the welcoming home of The Wonder Twins and a farewell To Lewis, who will be back. Booze and party games will be provided. Eight till late; or, to whenever Lewis realises she is making a huge mistake and decides to stay.' Wow, he really doesn't want you leaving does he?" Hill said as she looked up from her phone to Darcy.

"He'll be fine; I just need to make sure he gets enough attention so he doesn't feel completely abandoned. So? Do I have to make attendance mandatory or can the prospect of spending time with me outside of hours be enough of an incentive?" Darcy asked with a raised brow. She would totally throw how they rail roaded her today in their faces and their 'please, please, pretty please, sort out our massive error in judgement so our super important plan, a year in the making, doesn't fail!' she wasn't above it.

"Of course we will, as long as Stark doesn't revoke the invitation after he finds out about our meeting, that is." Coulson said as he held the door open for Maria and Darcy and followed them towards the elevator.

"He wouldn't revoke it; how else would he be able to bitch and moan at you? You know how he loathes coming to HQ; the party would be his only opportunity before Monday." Darcy wasn't even slightly joking, "besides; you have the JARVIS override codes and it's my party and I say you can come." Coulson smiled slightly and they stepped into the awaiting car to get back to the first floor. He piped back up when the doors slid shut.

"I was quite surprised about your announcement to leave the Tower, Darcy. I thought you loved living there." Phil said, staring at her reflection in the shiny surface of the door. (Sneaky Agent man asking questions when she couldn't escape. He was totally getting bombarded with invasive Sif questions. She wondered if she could get her warrior friend over the rainbow for her party tomorrow)

"I did, but you know, I want to try the independent living thing; and it's not like I'll never be back at the Tower. I do work there and all my friends still live in it, so I will probably be there more than my new place. Especially seems as I haven't managed to get my scientists on a sleep schedule and it makes me feel like a failure as a pseudo parent." Darcy said, desperately wanting the subject dropped; but her luck had been shit up to then so why expect any different.

"Hm, Natasha won't be pleased. She very much enjoys your company, especially after a mission. And I have a feeling that she's going to need you after this one; it was... difficult, for her. Barton too." Darcy felt her heart drop and she turned slowly to Phil, brow creased in concern that she didn't even try to hide.

"They're ok, right? I mean you usually tell us if we're going to have injured assassins on our hands. Or at least you tell me so I can get my Florence Nightingale on." Darcy could feel her hysteria rising along with her voice and tried very hard to tamp it down, but jeez Phil wasn't helping with his poker face being set on high and giving nothing away.

"They're fine, just the usual bumps and scrapes; but from the reports they've been filing it would seem there has been some differences of opinion. More so than usual." Coulson said receiving one of Maria's 'what are you doing' brow rises. Phil just tilted his head which she returned before Maria sighed and looked back to the doors, choosing to ignore the conversation completely. (Darcy really hated it when the spies in her life had full on conversations with facial expressions alone; it was like watching a foreign film in a language you didn't understand without subtitles. In other words: frustratingly baffling)

"Ok, so if they're pretty much alright physically, is it emotional?" Darcy asked, her heart returning to its normal place in her chest and not somewhere in the vicinity of her feet. Phil seemed to consider her question and was about to answer when the elevator doors opened to the main floor. Maria left with a small smile for Darcy telling her she'll see at the party tomorrow and wishing her luck with the dinner tonight; Darcy smiled weakly in response and gave her a small wave and was about to turn back to Phil but not before she saw the small shake of the head Maria gave him.

"Phil, seriously, what's going on?" Darcy was still feeling drained and her patience was suffering as a result. "You don't usually tell me this many mission details, it's usually just enough so I don't freak. And then there's Maria" Darcy waved her hand behind her out of the metal doors "giving you the stink eye. So, what?" Coulson took Darcy's hand off of the door that was preventing it from closing and walked her to a small, secluded alcove checking over his shoulder to see that no one was in listening distance. "Not that I don't think you're a very attractive man, Phil, but I think Sif would break me if we started spontaneously making out. Unless she was here to join in, then I think she would probably be ok with it." Phil turned to her and pursed his lips against a smile; giving her a half disapproving and half amused look before sighing slightly and sobering; his face carefully blank.

"I've been Barton and Romanov's handler for a very long time, Darcy; and I've learnt to read what they don't write in the reports they file; and I don't thinks it's coincidental that Romanov is calling into question decisions Barton's been making, the same week you decide to leave the Tower and distance yourself from your friends." Coulson's eyes searched Darcy's face for a moment and she wasn't sure what he found but he hung his head and let his shoulders sag. Darcy felt tears build in her eyes and folded her lips as she blinked rapidly at the implication his body language was making. He knew. He knew about the break up and that she was the reason his star agents weren't working cohesively, and that if either of them had gotten hurt or worse, it would have been her fault. This was not how she wanted things getting out; she didn't want things getting out at all, but there she was.

"What do you want me to say, Phil?" Darcy whispered, afraid that is she spoke any louder her voice would crack. He looked back up into her face and surprised her by giving her a sympathetic grimace she thought was trying to be a smile but wasn't capable.

"Nothing, Darcy. I don't want you to say anything." He gave her upper arm a comforting squeeze and she understood; he had his suspicions and now they were confirmed he could go about fixing any problems under the radar of SHIELD. Darcy nodded jerkily a few tears spilling. Phil reached his hands up to her face and lightly glided the pads of his thumbs under her eyes and along her cheeks, his palms cupping her jaw. The tenderness of the gesture and knowledge that he knew pretty much everything and wasn't blaming her made more tears fall. He withdrew one hand to get the pocket square from his jacket and dab her face before pressing it into her hand so she could get what he missed. She smiled shakily in thanks and held the fabric too her face for a long moment soaking up her tears and fighting back the others, beyond glad that she'd forgone make up that morning. Once she felt composed enough she moved her hands from her face and looked at him.

"Does Maria know? Was that what all the looks were about?" Darcy asked; clearing her throat when it came out a little too choked for her liking. (So much for: 'I'm a freaking professional' and not having cry face. Why was this her life?)

"No; and she won't, not from me at least." Phil shook his head "Hill only knows that there were some problems in the planning of the takedown and she didn't want me needling you for anything. And that's all it was Darcy; Natasha seemed distrustful of Clint. It never impacted their safety out in the field, I promise. I just need to be aware of these things so that I can facilitate solutions." He patted her forearm and shook his head 'no' when she offered his pocket square back.

"I'll sort this out, I promise. I won't let my woeful life choices affect their safety or the success of their missions." Darcy assured Coulson as she looked him dead in the eye and mustered the remainder of her energy to make him believe her and it seemed to work if the smile he gave her was anything to go by.

"I know you will; and you'll have plenty of time to do so; the decision was made to ground Barton and Romanov until after the negations are over." Darcy nodded, swiping at her face, "You look beautiful, Darcy; and for what it's worth, I think Barton is a fool for letting you go and he'll regret it for the rest of his life." Phil said ducking his head to meet her gaze.

"If he's a fool for letting me go, then I'm an even bigger fool for loving him, still." Darcy said as she took Coulson's arm and led him from their alcove. He looked at her profile as they walked through the front entrance to Darcy's waiting car; Seth standing by the back left side, door slightly open.

"'Love makes fools of us all, big and little.'" Coulson said softly as he turned Darcy to face him just out of Seth's hearing range. "William Makepeace Thackeray." He explained, "You're many things, Darcy, but foolish is not one of them, you're hopeful and it's wonderfully refreshing. I may not know the details of what made Barton do what he did, but it will get better. You just have to talk to him. Well, you'll have to get his head out of his ass first, so he'll be able to hear you," Darcy laughed and smiled appreciatively. "Ah, there you are; keep smiling Darcy. Clint Barton may be the 'world's greatest marksmen' but he is not the greatest at communicating his feelings to the ones he cares for. Keep the hope, Darcy and let him explain."

"But what if his feelings are just that he doesn't want to be with me anymore?" Darcy asked, voice small and oh, so sad.

"Then he is an idiot as well as a fool. Now go; I dread to think the state those scientists of yours have gotten into in your absence."Coulson joked and made Darcy groan. She knew exactly what that pesky pack of intellects could manage without a chaperone and made her not want to go back to work to witness it. Thinking of it in terms of Schrödinger's cat: until observed, the labs were both blown to smithereens and completely fine. (At least that's what she thinks it meant when Jane and Bruce had tried to explain it to her. She let her mind turn to definitely alive cats she'd seen on Tumblr after the first thirty minutes of their answer/lecture) It helped in keeping her sane until her reality collapsed into one possibility or the other. (The reality being that: yes, Tony had blown something else up and had likely lost an eyebrow or two.)

"Yeah, thank you." Darcy said sincerely thumping him lightly on the shoulder, dissipating any residual feels. Then smirking mischievously as she thought of a away to really thank him for his kindness and understanding, she added "Thor's been worried about me too and he said if he could do anything to help, all I had to do was ask. I wonder if he could get Lady Sif to attend my leaving bash?" she bit her lower lip and started walking backwards toward the car.

"I'm quite sure that Thor did not mean he would help you get me a girlfriend, Darcy." Phil smirked, shaking his head slightly.

"I think," Darcy said pointing a finger at her chest "Thor meant he would do anything to make me feel better. And it would most certainly make me feel better knowing that two of my bestest friends were getting down and dirty with some Demigod/Super agent sexy times." Darcy stood by her open car door staring at Phil, while Seth walked to the driver's side with a considerable blush.

"Tower. Now." Coulson said with a shooing motion of his hand. Darcy laughed and climbed into the backseat.

"I'll see you at the party, Phil. Wear something you won't mind being ripped from your body by an alien warrior in the height of passion." Darcy closed the door before he could respond and fastened her seatbelt, leaning back into the headrest. "Tower please, Seth." She heard an 'of course' and closed her eyes with a sigh.  
Tonight was going to be exhausting and she really wasn't looking forward to it but she was feeling a little better knowing that Phil knew of her break up with Barton and was being supportive. Especially as she'd assumed he'd be on Barton's 'side' as it were. She leaned her head to the side and allowed herself the next twenty minutes not to think about anything, she just watched the skyscrapers, offices and shops flow by through the window; allowing them to lull her mind to numbness.

Being stuck in the place between wakefulness and sleep, Darcy was surprised when she felt the car start to descend to the sub level of the Avenger Tower garage. When the car came to a stop and parked in its usual space, Darcy unfastened her seatbelt and gathered her bag and smiled up at Seth when he opened her door. She thanked him and made her way to the elevators; all the while thinking on her best plan of attack to letting everyone know about the negotiations they were expected  
to partake in.

'Phase one off reducing Avenger freak out:' she thought 'get Stark to sleep'.

'Phase two: try not to blab before she has everyone at the dinner table.'

'Phase three:...' Well, she thought she was doing well being that far ahead in her planning. The rest was going to have to be flying by the seat of pants. Whatever she did, she bet it would be explosive. Speaking of explosive.

"The labs had better be how I left them, Stark." Darcy announced as she exited the elevator on the floor where Tony's workshop was.

"It wasn't my fault, Lewis! I was trying my new repulsor rays when I thought I saw a bird." She heard him yell from somewhere in the carnage that was once a fully functioning lab. Damnit.

"How would a bird be in your lab, Tony? The windows are sealed." She called back, eyes scanning for any sign of him.

"That's why I tried to shoot it, Lewis! For all I knew it was some Trojan horse bird." Tony tried to reason from where she still didn't know, he'd gotten good at hiding from her when he didn't want to face her wraith.

"And what was it actually?" Darcy questioned as she traversed over uneven floors to where the direction of his voice was coming from. When she didn't get a reply she called his name, still no reply. She was about to tell him she was in no mood for hide and seek when a voice came from behind her.

"It was his hair." Darcy turned around to see Bruce leaning in the doorway, hands in his pockets. "His hair fell in his eyes, his brain told him evil alien bird and he shot at it. And now here we are." Darcy sighed and put her chin to her chest. "By the way?" Darcy looked back to Bruce and he smirked. "He's crouching in the overturned cabinet over there." Bruce pointed to a metal cabinet where a shout of 'Traitor!' could be heard. Darcy smiled and shouted 'thank you' to Bruce's retreating form and got a wave of acknowledgement over his shoulder in return.

"Tony, could you come out here and talk to me like a normal human being for a minute? I know it's not your preferred method of communication, but be a dear and do it anyway." Darcy heard muffled shuffling and cursing and then out popped a slightly smoky Stark. She looked him up and down, pleased when she couldn't see any injuries and then looked him in the eye. "I think it's time you went for a shower and a nap, don't you?" Tony pouted but nodded and made his way across to where Darcy stood, mumbling about how 'alien birds could totally be a legitimate threat'. She took his wrist and led him to the elevators to take him to his suite.

Once inside he leaned his head against her shoulder and she smiled the entire ride to his floor. The doors opened to his rooms and Darcy nudged him forward. "Go shower and get some rest. I'll have Jarv tell you when it's time to come down for dinner." He mock saluted her lazily and spun on his heels in the direction of his bathroom. When he was out of sight and the doors had closed, Darcy looked to the ceiling (because that's where JARVIS lived, to her mind) and asked "Could you please make sure Tony does what I ask, he really does need the rest. Oh, and make sure he doesn't drown in his shower stall."

"Of course, Miss Darcy. And if he doesn't comply with your request I shall inform you immediately." Darcy smiled and said Thank you.

'Phase one: Complete.'

'Now for phase two.' She thought. All things considered this should be her easiest and most simple of phases, she'd had enough practice keeping her mouth shut the past couple of weeks, she could just bundle this secret with her other one.

Darcy checked her watch and bobbed her head side to side; it was just gone three. She could keep it schtum for the next four hours, especially now she was going to be holed up in her office doing literal damage control on the lab that Tony had destroyed with his sleep deprived, sort of, hallucinations.

Darcy exited the elevator and walked down to her office closing the door, which was the universal sign of 'Darcy needs a little time to herself away from the three science stooges'. Putting her Ipod ear buds in and pressing shuffle on her 'Fuck you, paperwork, you are my bitch' playlist she threw herself into the tedium of insurance forms and blocked the rest of the world out until dinner. A dinner where she was going to be dropping her knowledge bomb on some unsuspecting superheroes. Just another relaxing, run of the mill Thursday night for Darcy Lewis.


	4. Chapter 4

Darcy found that it was surprisingly easy to avoid any and all interaction with the other residents of the tower for the next few hours. People tended to take her closed door very seriously- especially after the time Steve only narrowly avoided a stapler to the forehead when he'd walked in, without knocking, (where were his '40's manners then?) during a particularly excruciating data entry session.

Seriously, for a serum enhanced super soldier, he could be such a baby; one flying projectile to the face and he refused to speak to her for the rest of the day. Although it did lead to an amusing few days that whenever he walked into a room Tony was sitting in the Man of Iron would throw whatever was to hand at his head. Remote, spanner, Jane's pop tarts. Just so he would get Steve to stop talking to him, also. It didn't work. Steve may have stopped talking, but it didn't stop him yelling.

Darcy had just finished filling out form seven of fifteen of insurance bureaucracy to get Tony's lab repaired when she glanced at her watch. 6:15 pm. Steve would be done with dinner soon and the two of them had a tradition of setting the table for each other when one of them cooked. It was a nice and domestic routine and one  
she was glad was part of her last night at the tower.

Darcy put her pen down and stretched her back out, arms above her head and let out a happy little sigh at the pop and pull of bunched muscles. Pushing away from her desk, she grabbed her bag up and made her way to the elevators to go to the communal kitchen/dining area.

"Hey, JARV? could you please let Bruce and Jane know that dinner will be ready soon; and that they veto their bitching rights about me missing any and all future dinners if they're late to my last one." Darcy asked the AI as the elevator climbed the floors. She exited the elevator when it stopped into the kitchen and saw Steve  
adding some spices to his steaming pot of chilli, gaining his attention by the 'ding' of the elevator and receiving a crooked grin that sent her fan girl heart a flutter.

"Of course Miss Darcy. I will also wake Sir from his nap at a quarter to seven. No need to have him up before then." JARVIS said with a hint, of what Darcy would call, 'mockery' at his 'Masters' expense. She snorted and made her way to the divider between the kitchen and dining area and leaned on her elbows.

"Thank you, JARVIS." Darcy looked to Steve and smirked. "Whatcha cookin' good lookin'?" Steve turned around to regarded Darcy for a second before smiling, shaking his head and turning back to stir his pot.

"You ask me that every time and the answer is always same: chili. It's the only thing I can cook in such large quantities that everyone likes. Even Tony." He replied, turning to face her again. Leaning against the countertop to the side of the oven with his arms crossed over his chest. "but I am going to miss it when you're gone, you know? Gonna miss a lot of things actually." Steve said quietly. Darcy smiled softly, pushing off the counter and walking to stand in front of him.

"You telling me you don't want me to go Rogers?" Darcy asked, cocking her hip and tilting her head. Yes, she was teasing him, but not only because was it the nature of her interactions with him, but because she really still didn't have the energy to deal with too heavy an emotional moment.

"You know I don't. None of us do. It's just," Steve scrubbed a hand across the back of his neck in what Darcy knew to be an embarrassed/frustrated gesture "it's real now. This is your last family dinner. And what with all the time you spend in the labs, it was sometimes the only time I got to spend any amount of real time with you. Other than when you were taking great joy in tormenting me with whatever modern-aged thing you knew would horrify me." Steve grimaced in remembrance "I've had JARVIS block TLC from my television. The only learning I've learned from that channel is that people are willing to do some pretty horrifying things to get on a show." Darcy smirked.

"Yeah, My strange addiction was perhaps a step too far." Darcy was able to admit when she made a misstep and that had most definitely been one.

"'Perhaps'?" Steve face contorted spectacularly into disbelief "a woman had an addiction to eating diapers, Darcy. Used ones." Darcy snorted. Steve scowled. Seeing Steve try not to throw up at what he was forced to witness would never not make Darcy laugh. But she managed to pull it back; because even though she was tired, she needed Steve to understand something.

"You know why I do things like that to you, right? Make you watch awful TV full of awful people? Have you listen to sexually explicit music ala Ying Yang twins and showing you the slightly more scarring corners of the internet?" she asked; eyes wide. She really needed him to know why. "I'm not just doing it to be a bitch or to see whether you'll actually self combust with embarrassment."

Steve frowned big and deep. "I never thought you were a ... 'bitch', Darcy." Saying the word with censure and disdain. "but yeah, I thought it may have to do with your liking to make me blush." He admitted studying her face to see if he had been wrong. Which he had.

"Yes, I love it when you blush, I think it's sweet. But the reason I do all those things is that I figure if you can deal with all that shit; the real world and all its real people, won't seem such a big deal for you, because I've already shown you all the crazy." She place a hand on his crossed forearms and holy hell did she never feel tinier than when she placed her small hands (or her 'freakishly undersized baby hands' according to Tony. He could get really mean when you tried to take his day drink away) on him, Thor or Cli-'oh, no', Darcy thought, she had done too well burying those particular memories of archery refined biceps, she wasn't about to slip now.

"You talk like I'm afraid of the outside world." Steve said frowning down at her. Darcy shook her head and squeezed his arm.

"Not scared; hesitant. Because you don't know what to expect you're overly cautious. And I get that your job is the most unpredictable thing known to man," Darcy tipped her head and frown pouted, in thought "and alien, mustn't forget the aliens, especially as you live with big and blonde;" Steve smiled, he always did when she went off on her tangents; he said he found them 'endearing'.

"And I know that you want your normal life to be easy to call because of it, but that's not living, that is barely existing. You need to go out and try new, modern things. It'll stop you from being so stuck in the past and in your head." Darcy said as she reached a hand up and tapped his forehead. "I'm sure it's a wonderful place to reside, I've seen your art, remember?" Darcy grinned at his blush "you are a good man, Steve Rogers and Thor knows we need more of them out there." Darcy leaned her head to the window, where the city was glittering in the dark, "The world already knows Captain America, maybe now it's time for Steve Rogers to get to know the world." Darcy rested her chin on his crossed arms and looked up at him through her eyelashes, while he was silent.

Steve was a lot like Bruce in that respect, instead of saying whatever came to their head first; they ruminated and thought things through from every angle. She imagined it was part and parcel of being soldiers and doctors. Couldn't be rash in making battle plans or when mixing chemical. One misstep and boom; dead. So Darcy could respect it and implemented it herself at times.

Steve blew out a slow breath that Darcy felt rustle her hair and he slowly unwound his arms, letting Darcy's chin fall to his chest as he wrapped his long arms around her in a loose hug, his chin on top of her head.

"You always know how to make things sound so simple." He said and Darcy could feel the rumble of his words through his chest. "But what if I'm not ready? Or worse; what if don't like it?" He asked quietly, turning his head to the side so his cheek was resting where his chin had been. Darcy smiled softly; he was still just the skinny kid from Brooklyn under all the drool worthy muscles. So uncertain.

"Do you like me?" She asked into his chest. She felt his arms tightened against her ribs and she nuzzled his chest with her nose.

"Of course I like you. Very much. Where did that even come from?" He asked slightly aghast.

"But you don't like everything about me, right? I mean, I know you don't like it when I swear like a sailor getting his rocks off; or when I change with you in the room; which, by the way? You're getting a free show, enjoy it." She felt and heard him make a strangled noise and smiled. So easy. Steve cleared his throat and tried to speak but all that came was a squeak. (Poetry, or maybe the start of a very dirty limerick; Darcy would have to take it up with Tony. The man was, unsurprisingly, erudite in the art of the dirty rhyme.)

"It's not that I don't like them...not that I like your body... of course I do; I mean you have a very lovely figure and any man would be... Darcy, please stop me." He finished lamely, head tipping down in defeat of his own awkwardness. Taking pity on her full time friend and part time mute, she let a small giggle and finished her point.

"Then you'll like the modern world just fine. If you can look past all the things you aren't particularly keen on about my personality, you can do the same with the 21st century; find what you like and enjoy it. And about the 'not being ready'?" she pulled back from him slightly and looked him in the face, "you won't know until you try." He nodded, smiled, gave her one last squeeze and let her go.

"You'd better set the table; it's already 6:30." Steve told her; giving Darcy a hip check that sent her careening into the cabinet. He laughed. Bad move, Rogers. Bad. Move.

"Steven!" Darcy yelped as she braced herself against the counter and rubbed where he'd nudged her. "If I wanted bruises on my hips courtesy of you, I would hope I got them from your hands gripping me too tight whilst we were in the throes of passion and I had you screaming my name." She heard Steve sigh and saw his shoulder slump where he was standing at the stove.

"Set the table, Darcy." He monotoned in his 'Darcy just did something dastardly' drawl. Darcy lived for that reaction. It took her to a happy place.

"Too far?" she asked as she made her way behind him "Or not far enough?" Darcy whispered in his ear as she pinched his ass. Steve let out a yelp that of which only dogs should be able to hear and spun on the spot to glare down at Darcy.

"What have we said about touching my butt, Darcy?" Steve asked in an admonitory fashion that made Darcy feel like she was in the principal's office. Which admittedly she was in a lot in her high school career. (You egg one teacher's car and all of sudden all car eggings and alike are pinned on her. Ok maybe there were five teachers' cars but the last two in her senior year were totally deserved; they really should have looked her in the eye and not at the girls when they talked to her. America's public school system, ladies and gentleman.)

"Only if I ask nicely." Darcy replied in her most petulant of voices; she'd gotten rather good at it, what with spending a lot her time with the 'Prince of petulancy' Tony Stark. The fact that Tony was rubbing off on her (Ew, which was a thought that would forever be in her brain. Seriously need to ask Phil about MIB mind wiping) in anyway should probably horrify Darcy more than it actually does.

"And did you ask nicely?" Steve carried on like he was talking to an errant child or, again, Tony.

"No." Darcy drew the word out lowly with a pout as she looked down and scuffed her converse against the tiled floor of the kitchen.

"No, you didn't. And have I ever said no, when you have?" he asked. Darcy smiled sweetly up at him then and shook her head, her curls bouncing around her face.  
It was true, since he made the rule that she had to ask, he had never once said no. Even the time she had asked him in front of Fury and he had just blew a long suffering breath through his nose, sighed, closed his eyes and hung his head with a nod. She would have felt bad if he hadn't flexed under her hands. She had then squealed in delight and skipped off, laughing manically, calling for Jane to compare notes on 'super strength sculpted butts'. Darcy was well aware of the one eye following her in disbelief, but she was too giddy about the glutes she got to grab.

"Sorry." Darcy said smiling. "Now I have been properly put in my place, can I please go set the table?" Darcy asked biting her lower lip and twirling a curl around a finger; Steve knew Darcy well enough to be wary of that expression and he narrowed his eyes at her. Before he could give a reply she smirked mischievously and added "Unless you want to spank me, that is. Just so you're sure that I got the message." Darcy burst out laughing when he snorted and threw a tea towel in her face and turning back to the food.

"You know what, Darce? I don't think that I'm going to miss you after all. In fact I think that I'm glad you're leaving. Maybe it means I'll get molested less" Steve told her as she laughed loud and long.

"I doubt it Stev-o, I've told Pepper, Jane and Natasha how awesome your ass is. I might just get them to take over in my absence. Triple the molesting." Darcy teased as she went to wash her hands at the sink. Steve shook his head and didn't reply; meaning Darcy had won.

'Well at least I won one argument tonight.' She thought when her mind drifted to telling the team of her meeting that day. Not that she'd be arguing with them, exactly, she just knew they would need an outlet for their well deserved anger and she would be the easiest target.

Darcy checked the clock and her stomach turned uneasily. 6:40. knowing she didn't have a lot of time she decided to turn her mind to setting the table. It was comforting and centring. She and Steve had a well practiced dance of not bumping into one another. Little touches on the back or shoulder indicating movement with smiles of acknowledgement.

Darcy had just finished placing the last of the cutlery when she heard the elevator arrive and saw Bruce ambling out scrubbing his glasses with his check shirt. Bruce had a tendency to always be ten minutes early to things as he didn't want the stress of rushing when late. His eyes scanned the room and he nodded a hello at Steve before he made his way to Darcy. She took note of the pinch between his eyes and the antler-ness of his hair and sighed.

Pulling out a chair for him, that would be the one to the right of hers; Darcy took Bruce's wrist and gave it a squeeze before pushing him by the arms to sit. Standing behind him she leant forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulder and over his chest, chin resting on his shoulder, cheek to the side of his. "Rough day?" she asked quietly, bringing one hand to smooth his hair down. Bruce hummed his appreciation of the gesture and leaned back into Darcy's chest. (Not that she could blame him, her boobs made excellent pillows.)

"A little. I was on a bit of a roll when Stark blew the lab up. Couldn't seem to get it back after I went to check that he wasn't dead." Bruce closed his eyes and lets out deliberate breaths; Darcy recognized it as him getting to a less agitated mind space. Darcy hummed back at him and turned her head to kiss his cheek, the stubble tickling her lips.

"You'll get it back. Just next time leave Tony to burn. It may be the only way to stop his, what I'm being to suspect is actually, pyromania." Bruce snorted and Darcy smiled carrying on, trying to get him out of his funk. "Seriously, Bruce, one day I think I'm going to show up to work and the entire tower will be alight; and Tony will be out front with a can of gasoline, a box of matches and one of his 'I haven't slept for three days and there's a purple otter only I can see' looks on his face, staring into the flames like he's discovered Narnia, or something." Darcy grinned when Bruce let out a low chuckle that went through his back and vibrated against her chest.

Bruce turned in her embrace grabbing her hands and bringing her into his lap. She put an arm around his shoulder and behind his neck to rest her hand on his opposite shoulder whilst he clasped his hands over her hip and held her tightly. Darcy smiled broadly and got a little choked at just how far Bruce had come in the time they'd been friends. The Bruce she'd met at the beginning would never have dared to have anyone in his lap let alone instigated the cuddle.

"How about you, Darce?" he asked as he studied her face, "You looked a bit flustered when I saw you in Tony's not-a-lab." Darcy snorted and shook her head, her air catching on his stubble.

"I was standing in a blast radius, Bruce." She said as she bought a hand up and scrubbed his bristly cheek. Bruce leaned into the touch slightly but kept his eyes trained on her face.

"Please, Darcy, this is Tony. You're in a blast radius every other day. This was something else and not whatever's been bothering you for the last couple of weeks." Darcy tensed slightly at his finally mentioning her off mood of late. He hadn't said anything before and him bringing it up now put her on edge.

She didn't need to be thinking of Clint coming home in just over 24 hours when she had a more immediate headache to deal with. Shoving that aside for now, she put on a small, completely fake smile and continued scratching his cheek.

"You're going to need a shave there, caveman. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy whisker burn more than anyone, but you're starting to look unkempt and that reflects badly on me and my and my abilities to keep you presentable." Darcy tried to dodge but Bruce wasn't playing. (What was with her super friends disregarding her time tested suppression techniques to deal with her emotions?)

"Darcy." Bruce said, waiting for her to look him in the eye. "What's going on?" Darcy stared at him for a few seconds, realising he would bring it up in front of everyone at dinner if she didn't tell him something; she decided to go for a half truth.

"The meeting with Fury and Phil wasn't what I expected, but I don't want to go into it until we're all here." She hedged. Bruce seemed to buy it as he gave her a small nod but she could still see the doubt in his eyes.

Darcy not wanting to see the confusion in Bruce's eyes, moved her arm from around his shoulders and put it at her side, turned slightly so her head was resting on his shoulder and her back was half to his chest, her hands playing with his fingers; lightly massaging the tension that came from writing equations all day. Bruce resting his temple to the side of her face.

One of the things Darcy loved most about being friends with superheroes was that they had a tendency to be tactile. And being an avid hugger by nature she never refused them. Not even when they were sweaty or bloodied and were looking for some life affirming contact.

Clint had been one of those types; after a bad mission or battle he would come home to her and hold her tightly, sometimes for hours, not saying a word just needing to know she was there and alive. Of course sometimes it would show when they had sex and he was either more tender and loving or harder and faster. Whatever touch made him feel better Darcy was always happy to supply.

And then there was when Tony was grease stained and feeling like a little 'Lewis lovin'' as he put it. And 70% of the time it wasn't even to have her breasts pressed to his chest.

Bruce and Darcy didn't speak just listened to Steve putter in the kitchen, singing to himself what Darcy recognised as: Frank Sinatra's 'I'll never smile again'. (Jeez, Steve way to set a mood for dinner. Couldn't have picked a happier song?)

Darcy lifted her head from Bruce's shoulder when she heard the 'ding' of the elevator and saw Thor exit, towing Jane behind him; who had her nose buried in one of her equation filled books.

"Hello, dear friends." Thor exclaimed as he pulled a chair out for Jane and steered her into it. As he sat next to her he smiled at Bruce and gave Darcy a quizzical tilt of the head. "Have you taken my advice Lady Darcy?" he asked and she sighed. Bruce looked between Darcy and Thor with a frown as Darcy shook her head at Thor slightly.

"What advice?" he asked Darcy. Darcy looked up at him and folded her lips. She really didn't want to lie to her friend anymore than she already had.

"Nothing, Bruce. Right Thor? It's nothing?" Darcy looked back at Thor with wide eyes emphasising his need to play along. He frowned and nodded his head before looking back to Bruce.

"Yes, Doctor, it is indeed nothing." Thor agreed, although it was obviously forced. Thor didn't like lying, he thought it dishonourable. Well, he should have thought about that before bringing up a private conversation in public.

Before Bruce could call them on their obvious fibbing, Darcy turned the attention to Jane, who had missed the entire exchange. "Janie? What's the rule?" Darcy called across the table. Jane made a grunting noise in response to the question so Darcy tried again "Janie," she said louder and Jane's head popped up from her book with a frown.

"What?" she sing-songed at Darcy in an irritated manner; to which Darcy raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her tone.

"What's the rule, Janie?" she asked again, pointing at the note book she had in her hand. Jane narrowed her eyes at Darcy and pursed her lips. Jane was feeling challenging, it would seem.

"It's not actually dinner, Darcy. There's no food on the table." Jane said in a manner that Darcy imagined was what a parent of a teenager had to deal with.

"The rule isn't when dinner is on the table, Janie. It's 'no work at the table, period'. Give me the book." Darcy said placing her hand palm up. Jane pulled the book closer to herself and scooted her chair backward.

"Well, I'll go and be with Steve and finish what I'm doing." Jane said as she started standing. She was half way out of her seat when Darcy spoke.

"You sit your skinny ass back down in that chair, Jane. I have had a day a freaking half already and this is not helping." Darcy said, waving a finger at Jane to encompass her and her behaviour. "Follow the rules that we agreed to and give me the damn book." Darcy and Jane stared at each other for a few more moments, before Jane started to, slowly, lower herself back in to her seat. She marked her page and handed the book over with a pout. "Thank you."

Darcy looked away from Jane to find Steve, Bruce and Thor looking at her. It wasn't often that Darcy got her 'I'm grumpy and I'm gonna cut a bitch if you mess with me' face but when she did, people tended to listen. She was also aware that she was being shorter with Jane than usual, but her nerves were frazzled.

Just as she was about to tell a bunch of super heroes to stop looking at her like she was going to throw them into the sun; Tony came striding in looking clean and refreshed from his enforced nap. Although he was wearing his inside douche glasses; and that just wasn't going to fly with Darcy. She refused to have dinner with a Bono look alike. She would also refuse to have dinner with the real Bono, because real talk: U2 hadn't been good since the '90's.

"Who annoyed Lewis?" he asked as he stopped a good distance from the table, looking up from the tablet he was reading, realising what he'd walked in on. Not actually waiting for an answer, because he didn't actually care he carried on, "And if she's giving lap dances I'm so next." Tony leered eying where Darcy was still seated in Bruce's lap. Darcy huffed a laugh and shook her head.

"It's like you want the Other Guy to test the integrity of your suit, Tony." Bruce groused as he helped Darcy up.

Once on her feet she walked towards Tony and made grabby hands at the tablet in his grip. He scowled at her for a moment, seeming to weigh the pros and cons of arguing with her; and with a long sigh, shoulders slumping, he handed the tablet over, knowing he wouldn't win, he never did. "Good boy." She praised and heard a snort come from Steve in the kitchen. Tony whipped his head around at the sound and opened his mouth, to no doubt, release a string of insults but Darcy clamped a hand over his open mouth, "better than Jane, anyway. I had to use my 'pissed parent' voice on her." Feeling Tony smiling under her hand she removed it from his face. "Yeah, I thought that would please you. This won't, though." Darcy warned.

Putting his tablet and Jane's notebook under an arm she then reached out and plucked the glasses from his face. Tony squawked and slapped a hand over his eyes in protest. "Lewis! Give them back. I need them." He shouted as Darcy made her way to the kitchen divider and placing her confiscated items on it.

"You're indoors and it's night, Tony. You don't need them. Now, go, sit. It's chilli time." Darcy ordered, not bothering to look back to see if he was doing as he was told, she knew he was.

Grabbing the basket of bread and pitcher of water, she made her way back to the dinner table. Putting them in the centre, she was followed by Steve who placed a massive bowl of the chilli on the table and went back for the rice.

Everyone settled into the well practiced routine of filling and passing plates and glasses. Deciding it would be a good idea for everyone to actually eat dinner before having 'the talk'; Darcy decided to make some small talk.

"So, where's Pepper?" she asked, pushing rice around her plate. She really wasn't feeling at all hungry. What with feeling like she'd already eaten a bowl full of butterflies.

"Some meeting with the board took longer than she expected. Put her behind on her paperwork she has to finish for a conference call with Japan." Tony said around a mouth full of chilli soaked bread.

"I've put a plate aside for her." Steve informed from across the table and Darcy smiled.

"That," she said, pointing her fork at him "is because you are a sweetheart." Steve smirked and shook his head.

"No, it's because I know how quickly it goes as soon as it's on the table." Steve countered. Which was true, with all the super metabolisms and scientists who sometimes ignored the meals that were thoughtfully bought to them (ungrateful), meals as good as Steve's tended to go quickly. Tony scoffed.

"It's not that good, Captain Ice Age. Don't be getting an even bigger head."

"Says the man who is already half way through his second helping." Bruce pointed out as he buttered some bread. Tony made what Darcy thought was a protest but was muffled by the fact that he had his mouth crammed full of the food he claimed wasn't very good.

Darcy looked back to Bruce when he put the bread he had just buttered on her plate. She looked at him with a scrunched nose and raised brow. "not that I don't appreciate the assist, buddy, but I had knife skills down when I was seven."

"You're not eating. Again." He said with a concerned frown. Gesturing to the small pile of food that she had just been pushing around with her fork. Before she could say anything to refute him, or lie to him as was the case; Bruce just shook his head, "Just eat the bread, Darcy. For me. Please." Darcy looked at him for a moment longer and nodded her head, ripping some off and popping it in her mouth. Bruce seemingly satisfied went back to his meal.

"If you don't want chilli, Darce, I could make you something else." Steve offered with an encouraging smile. Darcy just smiled and shook her head while she swallowed her bread.

"No, thank you. I'm just not very hungry, lately." Darcy answered tearing another bite.

"We have noticed." Thor rumbled, giving her that damn concerned look that he'd given her that morning. (Jesus, was that only that morning? Her life was so fucked.)

"'We'?" Darcy asked looking around the table. "you guys have been talking about my eating habits?" she didn't quite know how to respond to that other than she felt vaguely creeped out.

"Or lack thereof." Tony replied, swallowing another mammoth bite. "and, yes. It's been quite the topic of discussion." He said, nodding his head. "I'm firmly of the opinion that you should be eating as much as possible; gotta keep those curves going, Lewis. And it saddens me to say: you've been slipping." Tony carried on looking over her figure. "Your body ain't half as rocking as it used to be. Though, your boobs are still large and very much in charge."

Darcy blushed. Not because of Tony's sexually suggestive comments, she was used to that; but because this was how he showed he cared. Beneath all of the innuendo and insinuation was him telling her he was worried for her health. She was about to tell him not to worry, when Steve interjected.

"What we're trying to say," He started throwing some major side eye at Tony "is that we're troubled." Darcy nodded and took a sip of her water to give herself a moment to think of what to say.

"Like I told Thor this morning; I might not be fine now but I will be. I just need to figure some stuff out. And it's not like I'm wasting away, you guys." Although, she was loathed to admit it, she had lost some noticeable weight. Darcy ran her fingers up and down the stem of her water glass really wishing everyone would stop staring at her.

"You talked to Thor about what's been bothering you?" Bruce asked with a hurt look on his face that made Darcy's heart clench. Darcy shook her head quickly; eyes wide, scrambling for what to say.

"No, Lady Darcy did not confide in me, I'm sad to say." Thor said, saving Darcy from releasing the nervous ramble she'd been about to spew. "But she assured me that when she was ready for our assistance she would ask." Darcy gave him a grateful smile and he nodded in acceptance. "And I have more than enough confidence that she is most capable of knowing when that time is; and she does not believe that it is now." Thor's deep voice notified the table; the 'leave her alone or you'll have me to deal with' loud and clear.

Darcy, deciding that the best way to distract them from the topic of her obvious avoidance, was to tell them of her meeting. Pushing her plate away, taking another sip of water and clearing her throat, she started.

"Listen, guys, I do actually have something we need to talk about." Darcy looked around the table and waited until she had everyone's attention. "As you know, I had my usual meeting today at HQ with Fury and Phil. As it turned out it wasn't exactly as advertised." Darcy pulled the sleeves of her jumper over her hands and twisted the fabric around her fingers; a nervous gesture everyone at the table recognised.

Bruce placed a hand over hers and gave a light squeeze. "It's ok, Darcy. Just say it." Nodding Darcy and took a deep breath.

"When I got there, Maria was in the lobby and she took me up to Fury's floor. I thought she was just going to sit in on the meeting, you know? She's done it before; but then she took me to one of those fancy conference rooms and I thought it might be like an intervention or something, but it wasn't." Darcy was well aware she was babbling but she couldn't seem to stop it. She bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow at the confused faces around her.

"If it wasn't an intervention, then what was it?" Steve asked slowly and calmly. (Steve knew what an intervention was thanks to the weekend long marathon of 'Intervention' she made him go through. She'd never seen him so close to crawling into the foetal position before)The soothing tone of his voice and the light pressure of Bruce's hand, cooled Darcy's roll, somewhat, and she was able to continue.

"It was still a meeting; there were just a lot more people than usual. Super people." Darcy hedged. She knew that she should probably take the band-aid approach and do it all in one go; but she never liked that idea much, it always hurt like a bitch. So she gave them time to process what she was saying and let them ask questions as time went on to lessen confusion.

"Super people. Like who?" Tony asked in a voice without inflection. Darcy winced, this was what she was afraid would happen. That their collective mistrust of SHIELD would have them shutting down before she could get them to listen.

"Susan Storm Richards, her husband Dr Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four; and Ororo Munroe, with Logan from the X – Men." Darcy felt Bruce's hand tighten and she looked at him to see a frown purse his lips. She moved her hand in his and linked their fingers together.

"Why were they there?" Steve asked, back rigid. Darcy really wanted to sigh; he'd gone from warm and comforting to being Captain America: the soldier.

"It turns out that Fury, Hill and Coulson have been holding meetings with them as representatives of their respective super teams." Again Darcy was silent and awaited their questions. Her leg began to bounce under the table, her nervous tension needing a release.

"To what end?" Thor asked interested but not defensive. Since he was the ambassador/liaison/diplomat for everything pertaining Asgard and earth, she wasn't surprised he was the calmest. He was used to it.

"They believe it would be for the benefit of earth and said super teams to combine skill and technologies; what with all the invasions and bat shit crazy baddies. A treaty, of sorts, has been made." Darcy looked from Steve to Tony and saw that they matching looks of suspicion; although she thought Tony could see where she was headed. And he didn't look happy with the destination. (Really, the one time they agreed on something and it had to be something to make her life more difficult? Brilliant)

"Why would SHIELD be involved in a treaty between The Fantastic Four and the X-Men? They have nothing to do with either team." Steve asked frowning.

"We're one of the 'Super teams', Steve." Tony said looking at the Captain and then threw an accusing look at Darcy, obviously thinking she was more involved than she was. "Isn't that right, Lewis?" the venom she heard made her flinch and bite the inside of her cheek and her leg stopped twitching. Darcy nodded.

"How long have these meetings been happening?" Jane asked, breaking the heavy silence that had descended. Darcy hadn't taken her eyes off of Tony. He looked betrayed and she wasn't sure if it was by her or SHIELD. The idea that it was her made her eyes burn slightly.

"From what I could tell from the meeting: anywhere from six months to a year." And Tony exploded.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" he shouted, pushing himself from the table with such force his glass of water went flying. "They've been making deals on our behalf? About things that are fucking integral to what we do? And didn't tell us. Fucking SHIELD! And you," Tony said in a low voice at Darcy and she tensed, her hand tightening in Bruce's; who had been unexpectedly silent "how long have you known? Is this why you've been so secretive and cagey, recently? Becoming a mouthpiece for SHIELD, are we?"

"Hey!" Jane shouted back, standing from her own seat; Thor sitting straighter at her side ready for anything. "It's pretty obvious she only found out today, Stark. So shut up and listen to what she has to say, before you start accusing her of things, because you can't stand it when you're not hearing your own voice." Jane stared at him breathing hard, obviously not happy that he was attacking her friend with unfounded accusations. For the first time, Darcy could do nothing to stop a fight between the pair, because it was about her. And she was really not happy that the fucked up state of affairs that was her private life had caused her friend to doubt her.

Thor took one of Jane's balled up fists and tugged her lightly so she would sit back down, but Jane hadn't stopped glaring daggers at Tony. Thor wasn't any happier, either, if the grinding of his jaw was anything to go by.

"Sit down, Tony." Bruce said in a low, angry voice. Darcy knew that he didn't like what Tony had been saying as his hand had been clenching periodically when he was shouting at her. Tony looked at him and narrowed his eyes. "Darcy deserves to be heard out. There's obviously more to this. So. Sit. Down." Tony looked from Bruce to Darcy and sat back down in a heap of anger.

"Why were you invited to the meeting, Darcy?" Steve asked, slightly softer seeming to realise that Darcy was distressed at Tony's blame. Darcy cleared her throat and blinked back some tears, before answering. (Fucking crying, she'd done enough of it because of dickish Avengers.)

"I think they realised the mistake they made by leaving you out for so long and they wouldn't be able to get you to listen to them; so they wanted someone you guys trusted to try and make you see passed the SHIELD-ness of it all, to the good that could come of it." Darcy said her voice a little thick. She knew there would be bad feeling she just hadn't expected it to take such a personal turn.

"So, I was right. Mouthpiece." Tony sneered but was a lot less angry, more resigned. Darcy looked back at him willing her eyes to be less watery.

"No, Tony. I was asked to convince you to agree, but I said no. I made it clear that I would outline and present their ideas to you but, if you were vehemently opposed, I would not use my friendship to try and sway you. I also made it clear that I was angry on your behalf that you had been left out." She stopped speaking for a moment and folded her lips against their trembling. Bruce squeezed her hand and speaking softly, took the opportunity to ask a question.

"Why were we left out?" Darcy laughed humourlessly.

"They were of the opinion that you weren't unified enough as a team. Too many cooks and all that. They wanted time to get the other teams in agreement and then add you guys. I made it clear that was bullshit and you should have known all along. You guys are as much a unit and a family as they are."

Darcy looked at Tony and said, "The only thing they want me to do is get you to hear them out and if you agree to be part of the negotiations that I be the person to make your demands known."

Tony looked back at her, studying her to see if she was telling the truth. "So, I guess you were right; I would be a mouthpiece, but I would be your mouthpiece." Darcy said waving her hand at him. "All of yours. They wanted a centralised voice that only had your best interest at heart. And that is me Tony, all I want for you is to get a fair deal out of this."

She felt a tear slip down her face and she swiped it away quickly. Tony looked pained for a moment but it went as quickly as it came. He opened his mouth to speak several times but nothing came out. He sighed and deflated, looking angry at himself for not being able to verbalise what he wanted to say. Tony wasn't good at emotions at the best of times, even less so when he was in the wrong and in front of an audience. Darcy shook her head in silent understanding.

"It's ok. I get it. It's ok." Darcy said with a small, tremulous smile at his attempt at apologising. Her eyes swept the table as she spoke "I just need you guys to know, I only found out today and I waited until you were all together to tell you because it was only fair. The only promise I made was to tell you, nothing more. But for what it's worth? I think you should hear out what you're saying no to before you actually say no. It actually sounds like a good idea to me, it was just went about in a truly shitty manner." Darcy finished and took a long sip of water before continuing. "Any questions?"

"When is the meeting?" Tony asked in a small voice that made Darcy's heart hurt. He sounded like a little boy, lost and sad.

"I told them maybe Monday. Dependent on your reactions and how much time you needed to get your heads around it. They wanted tomorrow, but I said Clint and Tasha needed time after their mission, before this was sprung on them. I also said I'd tell them, but I have a feeling Coulson might do that after their debriefing." Darcy tried to smile at him but he just looked away. It shouldn't have hurt, but it did. Darcy and Tony had always had a good relationship, she had an inkling as to why he had doubted her and she'd forgiven it.

"Um, Darce? What about me?" Jane asked with a slightly raised hand, Thor looked at Darcy sharply interested in the answer as she thought he would be.

"I told them to leave you out of it, unless you want in. You can be part of the negotiations if you want, Reed seemed to be interested in working with you." Jane nodded and pursed her lips in thought for a moment.

"I'll be at the meeting." She said with a resolve that shocked Darcy in how quick her decision was made. Darcy raised an eyebrow and Jane smiled. "I should know what I'm saying no to." Jane parroted back. Darcy let out a laugh and nodded.

"I shall be there as well." Thor said with a small smile. "I have enjoyed engaging in battles with those heroes at my side. I would like to hear what they have to say about banding together." Darcy nodded and bit her lip.

"You may want to bring Sif with you." Darcy said.

"Why would Lady Sif be needed at these meetings? This is an Avenger matter not an Asgardian one." Thor asked perplexed at the request.

"That is what we need them to understand. That this 'sharing of technologies' won't include any Asgardian tech." Darcy said seriously. Asgard was rightly reluctant to share any of their inventions with a society so behind them in development, they only interceded when aliens invaded earth and they felt the fight needed to be fair. As far as Darcy was concerned, the less alien weaponry the better; the last thing earth needed was one of the crazies (or governments, shady bastards) getting their hands on it and reverse engineering replicas. Thor nodded, seeming to have the same thought as her. "If you could get her here for my leaving party I would be beyond grateful."

"I shall have her here by tomorrow night." He said with a beaming smile, happy that he was doing something to make Darcy feel better. She couldn't help the answering smile; seriously- a happy Thor was not something that could be resisted.

"I think you have a point Darcy; there is some merit to us coming together and while I have my reservations, I would like to have more information before I make my mind up." Steve said, drawing her attention and she saw him relaxing out of his Captain America persona. Darcy just nodded, knowing that she couldn't say anymore and looked to Bruce.

"I was in when you said you thought it was a good idea." Darcy smiled and leaned to kiss his cheek with a loud smack. She looked over to Tony who was slumped in his chair, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Tony?" she said softly, startling him from his thoughts. He looked up at her and grimaced.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be there. Just give me a time." He got up from his chair, not looking at anyone "I'm gonna go...somewhere." and then he was making his way to the elevator. Darcy went to get up and follow him but Bruce squeezed her hand and shook his head.

"He needs time, Darce."

"He's sad, Bruce." Darcy countered, looking out at where Tony had left.

"He's sad because he assumed wrongly and hurt you in the process. He made you cry, Darcy." Bruce said hooking her chin with his free fingers. "He made you cry and he feels bad; you know Tony, he's going to need space to drink, tinker and brood, to work through it." Darcy shook her head, feeling tears well again.

"But I think I get why he did it. He shouldn't have to suffer when I can tell him that I don't blame him."

"Darcy." Steve called from across the table; turning her head to look at him she was met with a small smile. "Stark is a lot like you. He needs to be alone to get himself through this." Darcy shook her head again, tears actually falling.

"No, he's not. I do better when dealing with things by myself. Tony doesn't do well alone. Everyone knows this." She let out a little choked noise and wiped her face with her sleeve. "He needs people."

"And he'll have you, Darce." Jane said sympathetically. "Just not right now. Ok?" Darcy stared at her for a moment before looking to Bruce who nodded his head. Blowing out a breath and nodding her head, she agreed.

"Fine." Darcy said before looking up at the ceiling, " JARVIS? Could you do me a favour and keep an eye on Tony for me, please? And if you think he needs me or anyone, tell us?" Darcy asked breath hitching.

"Of course, Miss Darcy. If you would like, I have taken the liberty of setting up 'The Addams Family', 'The Hangover' and 'Ghostbusters' in the cinema room." JARVIS informed her and Darcy felt more tears fall. Her friend, the AI, had made a playlist of her favourite movies to make her feel better.

"Thank you, JARVIS. That would be lovely." Darcy said; realising if she watched all three films that should be enough time for Tony to be on his own. And hopefully Pepper would be back by then to help her make Tony feel better. Swiping her face again she turned to everyone and said, as brightly as she could manage. "Who wants a movie night?"

**A/N: **Hello you lovely commenter's! Thank you for all the love, it means a lot.

Oh, hi, Beserked2, I didn't think you were flaming, you were absolutely correct and hopefully now having a beta (the amazing Aeva) will cut down on my super long sentences.

Nightingalevermore, you lovely person, what are you trying to incorporate in your daily life?

Miss ruthless, I'm glad there's another Clint/Darcy lover. They are totes amazeballs. Clint/Darcy stuff is coming, but, you know have to keep the suspense going.

SJ x


	5. Chapter 5

They had just finished 'The Addams Family' and were about to start on 'The Hangover' when Pepper came home. She walked into the cinema room with a glass of red wine in one hand and her sky high Louboutin's in the other.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what film was being played and searched for Darcy in the darkened space; concern already apparent on her face.

"Darcy?" she called out when she couldn't spot the riot of brown curls.

"Pep?" Darcy replied, popping up from where she'd been resting her head on Jane's thigh; her hair littered with braids of various levels of concentration. She was going to have to remember to take them out before bed this time. The last time she slept on Jane's absent-minded hairstyling it had taken Steve two hours of meticulous detangling and having to deal with Darcy whining like a five year old. (That had stopped pretty quickly when he threatened to get the scissors out; although, Darcy had a feeling that reaction may have been payback for making him watch 'Sarah Palin's Alaska'. He really didn't appreciate that marathon. Darcy thought one more episode and he would have changed his name to 'Captain Expat' and gotten the fuck out of America.)

"Hey, what's with 'Darcy's fave movie mix'?" she asked, making her way to sit next to her. "The last time this was on was when that baby panda died." Darcy made a sad pout of remembrance and she heard Steve groan, he knew what was coming.

"Aww, Ping Ping." Bruce snorted and she whipped her head around to glare at him. "Fuck off, Bruce. That was genuinely devastating. Do you know how hard it is for Pandas to procreate? Because I do; I researched it." Bruce just shook his head and smiled- quite condescendingly in Darcy's opinion.

"Darcy, we've had this conversation. It's evolution working against them; sooner or later they will die out because they don't have enough meaningful sex." Darcy heard Jane sigh next to her. Poor Janie had been subjected to this very argument on multiple occasions when in the lab. She and Steve could probably play both parts, by this point. Choosing to ignore it, Darcy carried on.

"That's what makes it so sad, Bruce." Darcy said widening her eyes for emphasis. "Those poor panda parents actually had meaningful sex and then the little fucker went and died." Darcy shook her head, vigorously. "No, that is sad any which way you look at it and was well deserving of the weekend of mourning." Before Bruce could argue that the panda pins she made them all wear was too far, Steve cut in.

"I think Pepper was just making the point that we only watch these films when you feel in need of a pick me up. Although why she thought it was necessary to bring up that blasted panda, I don't know." Darcy's mouth dropped open in outrage and was about to rip him a new one when Thor's low voice rumbled in the darkness.

"Have some heart, Steven. I too was greatly saddened by Ping Ping's untimely passing. She was far too sweet for this world." Darcy reached across Jane and squeezed Thor's hand in solidarity against the heartless fucks that were their friends. He had been the only one to support the panda pin policy that Darcy had implemented, wearing his with pride and glaring at whoever else wasn't until they acquiesced. Pepper let out a small cough and gained back Darcy's attention.

"I take from your avoidance of my question and the fact that Tony isn't here that he did something to upset you." Darcy lowered her face from Pepper's sympathetic stare and hoped it was too dark for her to see the redness of her eyes.

"Tony was a real dick to her." Jane supplied as she stroked Darcy's hair down her back.

"Jane." Darcy admonished quietly. Jane just shook her head.

"He shouted at you and made you cry. Dick." Jane reiterated. Pepper straightened up suddenly and reached for Darcy's hand.

"He made you cry?" she asked obviously shocked. Pepper knew that Darcy wasn't one to let her emotions to get the best of her; it was one of the reasons Darcy got the job looking after the scientists. Nerves of steel were needed when working with a man who spends a lot of his time in iron.

"It's not as bad as it sounds." Darcy tried to reassure; at Steve's scoff she reasserted. "It's not. I'd just told him that SHIELD has been doing something SHILED-y again and he made the assumption that I was involved more than I am. He was wrong, but he didn't realise it until he had gotten himself all riled up." Darcy gave Pepper a small smile when the concern wasn't ebbing. "It wasn't even really him I was crying about; I'd had a really busy day and I just...things added up, is all."

Pepper tilted her head and regarded Darcy with a look that bordered on the maternal. She smiled sweetly and reached out a hand and put an errant curl behind her ear, cupping her cheek briefly. It made Darcy instantly calmer.

"That happens. I'll go check on him." Pepper said as she handed her wine to Darcy. Motherly and a supplier of alcohol, Darcy couldn't have loved her more in that moment.

"Thank you. I'd be there myself but these guys told me not to." Darcy said, waving the glass in dangerous circles of near spillage at the people behind her. Pepper nodded and made her way to the door when Darcy called out. "Could you tell him it's all good, please? That I'm not upset with him or anything?"

"Of course." She called back with a small smile. Pepper then padded to the elevators asking JARVIS where she could fine Tony, receiving the inevitable reply of his workshop.

Darcy let out a long breath and found herself relaxing back into the ridiculously comfy cinema seat. The day was nearly done; Tony was being looked after, she was surrounded by her friends and watching films that made her smile. Scooting down, Darcy put her head back in Jane's lap and fell asleep to the feel of her fingers twirling her hair and Bradley Cooper's stupidly attractive face on a ridiculously huge screen

Darcy was woken up by soft voices just as the gang found Doug on the roof. She nuzzled her face into the leg she thought to be Jane's, beneath her head; a leg that was far too big to be Jane's and then felt a hand much too large to be her astrophysicist's in her hair. Turning so she could see who she was sprawled on; Darcy saw Bruce smiling down at her.

"You're not Jane." She remarked tiredly as she blinked sleep out of her eyes. Bruce narrowed his eyes behind his glasses and pursed his mouth.

"What gave me away?" Darcy laughed and clambered her way off of him and stretched. "Thor took Jane to bed a little while ago; I nominated myself for pillow duties." Darcy smiled at him. Bruce was more than used to that job; more than once she'd woken up pressed against his side when in his lab after a night of stargazing with Jane. Or a night of drinking with Jane. Ok, a night of stargazing whilst drinking.

"And I didn't wake up when you guys were manoeuvring me? Last time somebody tried that, I reached for my taser." Bruce gave her a 'look' and stretched himself.

"Yeah, Darce, I know. Steve was less than impressed." Darcy bit her lip on a smile and he narrowed his eyes. "If it hadn't been for his enhanced reflexes he would have been a twitching, drooling mess on the floor." Bruce couldn't keep a straight face and let out a little snort. Darcy laughed, then. Waking her up wasn't a good idea at the best of times, she liked her sleep; what little of it she got anyway. But having a taser at hand made things decidedly more...hazardous.

"Where is Steve?"

"He just went to bed. He didn't want to wake you up; not that that worked out." Bruce explained with a wry smile. "But we did try. We thought you needed the rest." Darcy hummed, not wanting to get into the why she needed the sleep and took a sip of the wine Pepper had left.

"Did Pep come back from seeing Tony?" Bruce shook his head as she drained the rest of the wine. She would have offered some of it to Bruce but he was rocking the whole self control thing and alcohol didn't help with that. His go to example was the amount of times Darcy had danced on a table. Well, more fool him; she was mostly sober half the time she did that.

"That's a good thing, right? I mean they probably had a talk and went to bed." She reasoned hopefully. Bruce just smiled. Darcy wasn't sure how to take that. Bruce didn't like to lie, it stressed him out and when he had to mislead a person he tended for the non-verbal approach, so you could interpret it as you wanted.

"You want to watch 'Ghostbusters'?" he asked, motioning to the screen, hoping to get her out of her head for a little while longer. He knew how cerebral she could get.

"Nah, I'm not really feeling it. Although, maybe we could do something else?" she asked, giving him her best wide eyed, pout that said 'you're probs not gonna want to do it, but how could you say no to this face?' Bruce chuckled and shook his head.

"You want me to take the braids in your hair out; now that Steve's gone to bed, don't you?" Darcy grinned and nodded her head, feeling the weight of the twined hair bounce against her head. "Ok, but we should go to the common room; more space and light." Bruce stood up in front of her and offered a hand. Darcy took it and he levered her from her seat.

Shifting his grip, Bruce linked there pinkie fingers together and he swung their arms in large swooping motions between them. Darcy giggled and nudged him in the shoulder. She loved it when Bruce got a little playful. She knew he mostly did it for her benefit, anything to make her feel better.

Darcy found herself getting a little nostalgic for when she was a child and her Grandpa would do the same thing. He would take her around their local park and point out all the different birds and flowers to her, hands swinging.

She missed her Grandfather- he was the last person she had truly been able to tell anything to and knew wouldn't judge her. During the time leading up to her parents' divorce and throughout, she spent the majority of her time with him. He knew how hard it was for her trying to play go- between for her warring mom and dad and was always there to talk to.

He'd been more than aware how self-absorbed her parents had become in their hatred of each other and that they didn't see what they were doing to Darcy when they used her as a way to hurt one another. Darcy's friends were far too young to understand or offer any meaningful support, so that had left him and he was more than happy to be there for his only Grandchild.

He'd died a few years previously; and with him gone, so to had her safe haven and her ability to open up with others. She hadn't needed anyone else when she had him and now she didn't quite know how; at least not until Clint.

Holy abandonment issues! At least now Darcy could realise some of the reasons of why her pain about Clint was so sucky. Her Grandpa hadn't chosen to leave her; in fact he had put himself through some painful and invasive surgeries to try and help him with his cancer treatments, it was only after a particularly tearful conversation, where Darcy had told him to be selfish for once, he had listened and went into hospice care; where he died in little to no pain and her at his side, Darcy holding his hand.

Clint, on the other hand, had. He'd made a decision to leave her; without talking to her or giving her any explanation. She had held onto his hand to try and make him stay with her and he just pulled away and left. She could feel a new emotion that she hadn't felt about her break up bubbling to the surface now; anger.

She was angry with him. Especially right now, when her relationship with Tony had taken a hit because of how her break up behaviour had made him doubt the trust he had in her.

Angry, that he had treated her so badly.

Angry that he had left her to pick up the pieces and carry on with no sense of closure.

Angry that, even now, he was the only one she wanted (needed) to talk to about not living up to the expectations put upon her by SHIELD and their collective of heroes in bringing the Avengers into their plans.

Angry that all she wanted was to see his face.

Angry, that she missed him.

Angry that she was scared she would never not be in love with him.

More than anything, she was angry with herself and wasn't that a kick in the fucking feels.

Darcy shook herself of her thoughts when she saw that she and Bruce had made it all the way to the common room and she hadn't even noticed, let alone enjoyed it.

"Deep thoughts there, Darce?" he asked when he turned to face her. He gave her a small smile and ducked down slightly to look her in the face.

"Oh, the deepest. Do you think Heimdall actually listens to me when I talk to him? You know when I think he might be getting lonely. Or do you think he has too much to do counting all the leaves on all trees in the world? I mean I know I sometimes only tell him my thoughts on the latest 'Teen Wolf' episode, when JARVIS asks me to stop, but I figured he may care about my concerns for how Isaac can't seem to go a freaking episode without getting his ass kicked." Darcy snarked, her most recent realisation had thrown her for a loop and she wanted to get back on even footing. Being sarcastic always did that for her. And as that was her default setting, people nearly always failed to notice when she was deflecting.

Bruce snorted, took hold of her shoulders, turned her and guided her to the sofa. He placed a squishy cushion on the floor for her to sit on and helped her down; before having her lean back against the sofa between the parts of his knees. Darcy hooked her arms behind Bruce's legs and traced patterns on the tops of his sock covered feet.

Darcy smiled. This may be Steve's usual job but she had to admit Bruce was just as good.

Bruce collected Darcy's hair from across her shoulders and bought it to her back, his fingers ghosting her neck. They sat in silence for a while, Darcy's head lolling forward, eyes closed as she enjoyed he feeling of Bruce's dexterous fingers undoing braid after braid; the pads of his fingers soothing any sting away from her scalp when she felt a tug. Sighing whenever she felt the slight tickle of her hair being played with or when it touched her neck.

"Hey, Darce?" Bruce called out softly, not wanting to disturb the comforting haze. Darcy hummed lowly in response, fingers still dancing over his socks. "About those deep thoughts," Darcy's eyes snapped open and her fingers stilled.

"Yeah?" she replied with a small voice. She thought she'd avoided this. Bruce tended to shut down when she started her rants on 'Teen Wolf'. She even tried to explain it in science terms; Shirtless Derek Hale + Darcy = panty combustion. Bruce didn't appreciate her using his white board for that equation.

"If they were about the treaty with the X-Men and Fantastic Four, I just want you to know that you have nothing to worry about. No one is mad at you. Not even Tony. We just hate that they kept something from us again." Bruce sighed and she felt his breath on the back of her head.

"I know. That's what I told them." Darcy's fingers began moving again. Going along with what was admittedly part of what she was thinking about. She just wasn't talking about it to the person she wanted.

"And that's one of the reasons I said yes about going to the meeting." He told her, his fingers gliding through her hair, top to tip.

"What do you mean?" she asked leaning into his touch.

"I mean not only do you think it's a worthwhile idea, but that SHIELD actually made a good move for once. They chose you as the person to speak to us, for us. They saw your worth and utilised it; knowing full well that you couldn't be manipulated into anything that would hurt us. Because you care and you want what's best for the team and that you would fight for it; not roll over to other's just because they have super abilities." Bruce moved his fingers to under her jaw and gently pulled her head back to look him in the eye. Upside down admittedly, but eye contact nonetheless. "You are the absolute best person for this task, Darcy. We all think so."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He kissed her forehead and lowered her face back down. "We talked about it during 'The Hangover'. If we were asked to choose someone, it would have been you. I'm sure Tony will think so too, once he's calmed down. Natasha and Clint too." Darcy wasn't so sure of that last one. And then the anger started to creep back. Fucking Hawkeye ruining all the good in the world.

"I just don't want to screw up. It's too important." She admitted hands going up and down Bruce's calves.

"And you won't." Bruce assured her, giving a curl a tug. " You know, when you first came to the tower I thought you were way too smart to play baby sitter to a bunch of scientists; and you are, but that's not what you do. You nurture and you love using your intellect in turn with your big heart. I truly don't think anyone else could do what you do and not expect anything in return." Darcy snorted.

"I do get paid, Bruce." Darcy countered. She was beginning to feel awkward again; the praise making her uncomfortable.

"Not nearly enough for what you actually do. But that's not what I meant. You never ask us for anything, nothing substantial, anyway."

"You never ask me for anything, either." Bruce sighed again, this time through his nose. Darcy felt an internal alarm go off. He was using his calm breathing techniques which were usually a prelude to a heart to heart. Darcy usually loved those because they were about him and cookies were involved. This time there were no cookies and his hands were in her hair so she couldn't bolt.

"No, that's because you just know and you get it done. It's actually quite frustrating. We're all your friends and we love you, but sometimes it feels like we don't even know you, not all of you. I've told you some of the most personal and painful things about me but you don't or won't do the same. You keep everything so close to the vest and to yourself that we feel powerless to help when we know something's wrong; and we know something's been wrong, Darce. But we know we have to know what the problem is before asking or you shut down and change the subject. So we talk to one another to see if you've opened up to anyone and the answers always no." Darcy sighed. Having her character dissected after a day that she had was not what Darcy would call a good freaking time. But she knew that if Bruce was bringing it up that he actually thought it was becoming a real issue.

"I'm sorry." She said in a small voice. She really didn't know what else to say. He was right.

"Oh, Darce; I didn't mean..." Bruce trailed off and joined her on the floor. He sat in front of her and took hold of her hands that she was fidgeting with. "We just want to be there for you too. We want you to trust us as much as we trust you."

"It's not a matter of trust, Bruce. I promise. I just..." Darcy looked up into his face with watery eyes and tried to find the words to explain. "I know you all. I know what lives you've had and how hard you work to save the world all the time and quite honestly? Sometimes your lives just plain suck. They've been so hard and so full of pain, that my life and my 'problems'?" Darcy very nearly spat the word in her distaste at how exaggerated a term it felt in comparison. "They don't even register. And as your friend, as a friend to all of you, it's my responsibility to make you all feel better; to make sure you're as happy as you can be. And it's a responsibility I enjoy. Making your lives easier, makes me feel better. Like in some small way I lessen your burdens not add to them."

Bruce just stared at her. Eyes tracking her face until he finally spoke. "You and your problems are not any less than ours and you never have been or never will be a burden, Darcy." Before Darcy could tell him that that wasn't what she meant; Pepper padded into the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." Darcy turned from Bruce and frowned. Pepper looked...sad; and it made her gut twist. Pepper was the fucking queen of composure and she was well trained in how to deal with Tony when he got into one of his moods. Sad Pep didn't bode well.

"No, you didn't. Darcy and I were just finishing up." Bruce stood and pulled her up with him, looping her hair behind her ears. "Braids are gone." He pulled her to his chest and ducked his mouth to her ear. "Think about what I said." He moved away with a kiss to her temple and nodded a goodnight to Pepper.

"Things didn't go well, did they?" Darcy asked. Pepper shook her head. Of course they didn't, why would things start to get better now? She couldn't believe that after a night of 'The Addams Family' she felt this shitty. Darcy walked over to Pepper and took her hands. "What happened?"

"I tried talking to him but he didn't even look up from what he was working on, so whether or not he actually heard what I was saying is debatable." Pepper sighed. "He's in a bad place, Darcy. Would you have a go at talking to him? He might just listen to you."

"Of course; but if he didn't respond to you, I doubt he will to me." Pepper smiled and turned her hand over to clasp Darcy's, thumbs gliding over her knuckles a warm, loving smile on her face.

"I think you underestimate how much you mean to him. He's still in his workshop." Darcy nodded and made her way to the elevator. "Darcy." Pepper called out and Darcy stopped the doors from closing. "Don't give up on him."

"Never." Darcy smiled and let the doors slide shut.

Darcy stepped out of the elevator and made her way to the stairs that led to Tony's workshop. The first thing she noticed was the lack of '80's rock blaring, making her ears bleed. She liked a little Zep just as much as the next person who had an unnatural attachment to her ITunes account, just not to his thought-deafening levels. So the fact that he was actually music-less meant he was wallowing; and a wallowing Tony was not a fun time.

She got to as far as his table before he spoke. "Go to bed, Pep." He didn't look up from the table, just carried on using an adorable baby screwdriver on a small metal disc with a pressure pad in the centre. Darcy grimaced. He sounded wrecked. And not in his 'All I've had as sustenance is scotch and science!' way. But sad and defeated.

"Whilst I appreciate this case of mistaken identity I don't think Pepper would. She is far too graceful and light on her feet to be accused of being me and my Bambi on ice ways." Really, once she'd fallen over from just standing still; no Jaeger in the vicinity. She blamed ghosts. His hands stilled for a moment before he reached for another metal disc that he slotted on top of the pad. He didn't speak.

"Not feeling like talking, huh? Well that's ok. You don't need to. We both know that I have more than enough words tumbling around in my mind for both sides of this conversation." Darcy pulled up a stool and wheeled it over so she was hip to hip with Tony. She felt him tense but she didn't move away. He would deal with her close proximity; it reinforced her point, Damnit. "I know Pepper already told you this; but I have no hard feelings towards you, Tony. In fact, all my feelings for you are very much of the soft and fuzzy variety and they reside right in my heart space. Which just so happens to be where my boobs are, so I think you would be very comfortable with the surroundings." She saw a brief flicker of a smile and she let out a small relieved sigh.

"I know that I haven't been myself lately and as Bruce just informed me; I'm not the most open of people when it comes to my emotions and that can come across as me being 'secretive and cagey'. Especially recently." Tony winced, she felt bad bringing it up but at least she was sure he was listening and not just perking up at the word 'boobs' like some sort of conditioned response. Tony was the master of fake agreeable nods and assenting hums. Once she told him that her 'glitter leopard, Gepetto, had escaped and left a sparkly trail of destruction all over the tower.' Tony's response was an uninterested grunt. Then she flicked his forehead. Ignorant Iron Men get punished.

"Mix that with you not understanding my want to leave and then add me knowing that SHEILD had been shady, your trust issues flared up and you made an assumption and acted out of anger. And that's ok." Tony looked at her then, brow raised.

"It really is. You thought that I had betrayed your trust and been in cahoots with SHIELD, for Thor knows how long, and was getting the hell out of dodge by moving out when you all found out; all that hurt you because you don't open your heart to many people because you don't want to get it hurt more than it already has been. That probably has a lot to do with your ridonkulously deep seeded daddy issues." Tony whipped his head around and threw her a glare. "that's coming from a woman who hasn't spoken to her own father since he showed up to her high school graduation drunk off his ass; which honestly? Wasn't that much of a departure to how he usually was." See, Darcy could share; it was just depressing as hell when she did. "All I'm saying is that there was a lot of evidence that pointed you in the wrong direction."

Tony's face softened and he turned back to his latest invention. She really hoped this one didn't blow up. "But I should have trusted you." Darcy was glad to note he sounded better; still sad but better.

"Why? Trust isn't implicit, Tony. Or at least it shouldn't be." Darcy turned on her stool so she could look at him fully. "It's situational, based on experience and your experience with SHIELD has been shitty; what with their history of planting assistants, trying to exclude you from the Avengers to begin with, the Coulson of it all and now this treaty business? I can't blame you for being suspicious." Tony tilted his head at her, intrigued. "We're too flawed to trust without reason. We constantly make bad choices, choices that have the high probability of hurting those we care about. And when those bad choices come back to bite you in the ass, you just have to hope that those you've hurt, love you enough to forgive you."

"Do you?" his gaze flickered back to his work table as he threaded, what looked to be, a necklace through a small hole at the top of the disc. Darcy reached out to touch his forearm.

"Love you enough to forgive you?" Tony nodded, not looking back up and she smiled, squeezing his arm. "Yes. Always." Tony looked up at her then and her smile widened at the hope she saw. "You may be a monumental pain in the ass at times, but you are my monumental pain in the ass." Darcy paused for a moment and asked in voice she thought sounded a lot like when she was a child. "Do you? Love me enough to forgive me for my emotionally silent self? For making you all worry about me but not giving you any way to help? I know how much that must grate against your super hero complexes." She picked up a piece of bendy wire and started to manipulate it into shapes with nervous fingers; not looking at him.

Tony didn't say anything for a moment. "This is for you." He said passing her his invention. "It's a panic button and GPS that doubles for a pendant holder. Triples, I suppose. I thought you could put that drop diamond your Grandfather gave to you into it. I know you never take it off and it should fit perfectly. "He said motioning to the necklace at her throat. "I know you already have a panic button, but this one sends an alert straight to me and mobilizes my suit. I'd appreciate if you had it on you at all times. If I can't get you to stay, I need to know that I am at least able to be first on the scene. I need to know you're protected." Tony took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. "Because I love you too. Even when you're 'emotionally silent' and I think it would break me to lose you."

Darcy felt her heart soar and her throat constrict so she kept her eyes on the small disc; there were ornate, delicate carvings on the outer lip of where her diamond would rest; who knew Tony was an artist with an engraving tool. As she turned it over in her fingers, Darcy noticed another small engraving on the metal base. 'For Lewis – Keep safe, always.' Darcy's eyes met Tony's and she smiled big and wide. She then flung herself into his arms, eliciting an 'oomph' when she slid them into the side of the table and Tony said "Ok, Lewis." His words dismissive but his arms were wrapped tightly around her.

Darcy pulled back, hands on his shoulders, the panic button hanging from the chain in her fingers. "Thank you. It's beautiful." She leaned forward and placed a kiss to his cheek. Tony rolled his eyes and swirled his hand in the air to get her turn around. Darcy did and he stood up behind her, moving her hair to the side and unclasped her necklace. Darcy turned back around and handed back the panic button, the chain pooling in his hand. Carefully, Tony removed the gem and placed it into the gap. He smiled smugly and twirled the pendant in his fingers, showing how it fit snugly. Darcy bit her lip on a smile and clapped her hands. It looked stunning. Turning around again, she gathered her hair up and Tony affixed the jewellery back to her neck.

Dropping her hair, she picked up metal and stared at it. "I won't take it off. Promise." She told him when he walked to the front of her. He nodded. "Ok, you. Off to bed. You had Pep all worried and I bet she'll want to see you back to your normal indifferent self." She grabbed hold of his wrist and towed him to the elevator. In a reverse from their earlier elevator trip, Darcy leaned her head on his shoulder and gripped his arm.

The doors opened to his suite and they saw Pepper sitting on the sofa, a large glass of wine clasped in her hand. She turned to look at them and smiled when she saw Darcy lift her head and Tony turn to kiss her on the forehead. "Everything good?"

Darcy nodded and nudged him into the room and towards Pepper. "He loves me." She said simply. Tony guffawed and started spluttering, indignant. Pepper laughed as she linked her arm through his.

"That I already knew. Thank you, Darcy." Darcy just shrugged a shoulder.

"Well, I kinda love him too, so it wasn't a great sacrifice of time. Goodnight, guys." She heard them return the sentiment and Tony saying, 'Wine, Pep? At this hour? That can't be healthy. Here I'll finish it off for you." And Pepper let out a squeal as the doors slid shut. Darcy scrunched her nose up; she had the same feeling she imagined people got when they walked in on their parents in an intimate moment. Not that Darcy would actually know; the only moments she walked in on with her parents were raging arguments. Darcy looked up to the ceiling and smiled. "Hey JARV? Could you please send me the audio of Tony telling me he loves me to my ITunes? And add it to my 'Darcy is a feely feeler with feels' playlist?"

"I already took the liberty, Miss Darcy. I think it will play quite nicely with your other recordings."

Darcy smiled and played with her new necklace. "I think so too, JARV. I think so too."

**A/N: **Hello, Lovelies. Thank you so much for all your comments and follows and Faves, you're all super sweet.

More soonish.

SJ x


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Darcy woke up happy for the first time in weeks. She didn't come too from a dream; of what she thought involved miniature horses and a pouting Thor, and instantly feel that overwhelming pressure in her chest or miss the weight and warmth of Clint's arms. It was fucking refreshing. Darcy wasn't sure if it was because her feelings towards the break up, and Clint himself, had moved along the spectrum from soul weeping sadness to being pissed the fuck off, or if it was because of the other weight she felt on her chest, smaller and sweeter. Darcy put her hand to her pendant and smiled.

Tony loved her. She had known that in the hypothetical sense but not the literal; now, however, it was a recorded fact and saved for posterity. It made her feel immeasurably better. Darcy wasn't stupid, she knew her Avenger and Co family loved her as much as she loved them, it was just nice to hear; especially from Stark, who wasn't known for emotional declarations. Even if said declaration was born of guilt, she'd take it, it didn't make it mean any less to her.

Darcy had also come to the decision, when she was blow drying her hair after a lengthy shower where she belted out Gloria Gaynor's 'I will survive', that she wasn't going to stress about Clint's imminent return home. She knew he would be back sooner or later and at least now she felt a little more emotionally prepared; her anger overpowering the anxious twists her stomach was making at the prospect of seeing him again. And if she was completely honest with herself, she wanted to see him; she had missed him desperately and the worry she felt for him when he was away on assignment hadn't ended just because their relationship had.

Plus, Tasha. Darcy had missed her ex Russian assassin and would not let Barton ruin that reunion with his douche-baggery and stupid face.

Putting on her adorable duckling sweater, that she knew would get her some raised eyebrows and checking her make up; Darcy was about to head down to breakfast with the others when a thought occurred to her, a thought that had her sliding back along the spectrum from fiery anger to the soul weeping sadness once more: The box; That fucking box full of Clint's stupid stuff.

She had to make a decision on what to do with it now; she wouldn't have time with all the insurance paper work she still had to do for Tony's false bird attack in the lab and her other wrangling tasks. She also knew that she probably wouldn't be leaving the science department until at least six and what with the party starting at eight she wouldn't have enough time after work either; not if she wanted to look like the finest piece of ass to ever enter Avenger's tower. And that would take time considering all the super hot ladies that were her besties would also be at that party.

"Hey, JARV?" she called to the ceiling. "Could you do me a solid and privately inform Clint that he has a box of belongings in this room when he gets back to his quarters today?" Decision made to avoid another emotionally explosive confrontation by just removing herself from the exchange completely. Darcy knew that she was being a bit of a coward and she would have to face him eventually, but right then she felt happy in her angry place; which was quite paradoxical, she knew, but that's what break ups did. They caused contradictory feelings that had you see sawing between the extremes and it was exhausting, she was exhausted; hence the light cowardice.

"Of course Miss Darcy. I shall also only let it be known when you are not occupying the room." JARVIS assured her. JARV had known of her relationship with Clint. How could he not? He was, quite literally, all seeing when it came to the comings (ew) and goings of the tower; even after privacy mode was set and he was no longer recording, he still had record of who entered and left what rooms when. Darcy had never explicitly asked her AI bud not to say anything he just intuited it from his years of having to be delicate with Tony's sordid love life; not that her relationship with Clint had been sordid, just secret. She was fully aware that if he was asked point blank that he didn't have the programming to lie; but then again if he was asked point blank, Darcy was more than sure that whoever was asking already knew the answer and was just looking for confirmation by that point.

"Thank you JARVIS."

Darcy made it all the way to the door leaving her guest quarters this time before she stopped again; hand on the knob mid-twist, when she dropped her hand and doubled back. She went back into the bedroom and bathroom, collecting all of the things she bought there the day before. She was going to drop them off at Jane's on her way to breakfast; not only so she could be sure to avoid Clint until absolutely necessary but also because the women of the tower enjoyed getting ready for parties together. It was a nice time to be had, away from all the testosterone that the tower and SHIELD were drowning in. She'd already texted Pepper, Jane and Maria when she woke up that they would meet up in Jane's to get prettier together. According to the message she'd received from Phil, Tasha wouldn't be back at the tower until after the party had started and Sif would come from Asgard ready so they couldn't join this time.

Placing everything on the bed, she turned to the box. She hadn't moved or touched it from where Thor had placed it. She bit the inside of her cheek and narrowed her eyes in thought. If she left now the box it would be taken care of and be out of her hair and she wouldn't see it or its contents again; which her brain was telling her was a good thing, but her heart was being its tiresomely contradictory self and she couldn't seem to make her feet move towards the exit. Darcy heaved a deep sigh and her shoulders slumped in defeat as once more, despite her head screaming all the logic it possessed, her heart won out again; which was becoming a particularly hurtful pattern in her life.

Sadly resolute in her own weakness, Darcy went to the box, opened the folded top and dug around, trying to look past everything that would cause a tsunami of tears until she found what she wanted. Touching something soft and cold; Darcy withdrew her arm, a shirt of Clint's in hand. Well it had been Clint's shirt up until seven months previously when Darcy had taken a liking to having one in bed with her for when he was away on missions and bogarted a selection. The one she had in her hand was the last one she'd appropriated and it still smelt like him; a mixture of deodorant, bow wax and the slight woodsy scent of the cologne she bought him for his birthday. Darcy hadn't worn it or had it in bed with her on this last mission for obvious heart crushing reasons.

Darcy held the fabric in her hands, thumbs rubbing soft circles, as she bought it to her throat and held it close to her chest, chin buried in the cloth. She was taking it. It was a connection to him and for whatever fucked up reason that made her feel safe. She couldn't leave without it, really. Logically she knew it would be best for her to have a completely fresh start in her new apartment, no traces of Barton, but logic could take a running jump. She may not use the shirt right away but she wasn't going to not have it if she wanted it at a later, more maudlin and pathetically lonely date. Getting up off the floor, Darcy put the shirt into her garment bag, picked everything back up and actually managed to get out of the door.

Darcy got off the elevator and made her way to the kitchen island where everyone had breakfast; smiling when she saw Jane perched on Thor's lap, feeding him a strawberry, soft loving smiles on their faces. Darcy was more than glad that she didn't want to throw things, heavy pointy things, when confronted with people in love. She desperately didn't want to become that woman, had spent her adult life actively fighting it; the woman who had a relationship end badly and have it harden her heart towards any and all love in the future. She didn't want to become her mother. A woman, who after divorcing Darcy's father had a string of disastrous affairs with emotionally unavailable men, usually (preferably for her mother) married, that when they inevitably ended in a spectacularly horrific manner, she could play the victim and spout her usual speech to her daughter: "Never trust a man with anything, Darcy; Especially not your heart."

She'd first heard that little bit of life advice when she was thirteen and then every few months after when another 'relationship' ended, until she had left home a week after her graduation from high school and went on to only communicate with her mother through phone calls and email, it made it easier to ignore her and her bad life choices that way.

Even at such an impressionable age, Darcy knew that her mother's philosophy was complete bullshit; bullshit born of a shitty marriage and even shittier divorce to a man she had once loved deeply. Darcy would just nod her head until her mother turned her back and then roll her eyes, thinking of her Grandparents fifty year marriage until her Grammas' death. She wasn't going to allow her mother's bitterness to dampen her hopefulness, no matter how hard she would try. Because Phil had been right the day before; Darcy was hopeful, it was just sometimes the only reason she was hopeful was to spite her mother and Father's awful example of healthy loving relationships.

Before that thought train could get anywhere more depressing; Jane saw her. Smiling brightly, she jumped off of Thor and dashed towards Darcy, skidding across the floor in her star sock covered feet and very nearly crashing into her. Grabbing hold of Jane's shoulders, Darcy steadied her and let out a startled laugh when Jane flung her arms around her neck and held on tightly. Jane was deceivingly strong for such a tiny woman whose primary food source was pop tarts.

"What's this for, crazy?" Darcy asked quirking an eyebrow at Thor who just smiled back and started on one of the biggest breakfast sandwiches she'd ever seen. "You get into the tequila already?" Darcy was only partly joking. Jane had once substituted the champagne in everyone's mimosas for Jose Cuervo, making tequila sunrises at just after sunrise. It usually wouldn't have been a problem but it was also the day Thor had wanted to go to Disneyland. Darcy had framed the picture of Tony throwing up over the side of Splash Mountain, a disgusted Tasha in Minnie Mouse ears holding his Tinker Bell wings to make sure he didn't fall overboard and drown, in her lab.

Jane gave a good humoured huff and pulled back, "No. It's your last day. I don't want to be sad about it, so I am going to just be glad to see you when I do." Jane disentangled them and took Darcy by the hand, towing her to the chairs. Sitting Darcy at the island opposite to Thor, she turned and produced a plate of food that actually looked edible. Darcy squinted her eyes and had a precautionary sniff of the pancake with a smiley fruit face and chocolate whipped cream hair. She loved Jane and she would take a bullet or some weird aliens weaponry blast for her, but she would not eat anything that woman had cooked. Jane had a tendency to get distracted and after a very memorable girl's night where she had presented some nearly raw chicken on kebob skewers for them to consume, it had become a tower wide rule to not willingly or knowingly ingest anything Jane had made.

"Yeah, no. Sorry Janie, no dice." Darcy said as she pushed the plate away from her and reached for an apple instead. Thor let out a low rumbled laugh that had Darcy looking up at him with a raised eyebrow and smile.

"I told you to allow me to present Lady Darcy with her morning meal. She is much to wise to accept any offerings of food from you, my love." Thor chuckled and Darcy laughed as Jane crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Thor, a pretty impressive pout forming, before she turned her attention back to Darcy.

"Hey, One?" Jane said as she raised her pointer finger. "Rude, and Two?" She raised her middle finger, "I didn't make it; Steve did." Jane re-crossed her arms and looked away from both Thor and Darcy, out the window. "He wouldn't even let me passed the divider when he was cooking. He said it was 'salmonella waiting to happen'"

Darcy couldn't help the laugh that escaped at Jane's childish impression of Steve, folding her lips and waving a hand in apology when Jane whipped a glare in her direction. "I'm sorry." Darcy said as she pulled the plate back towards her, now knowing it was safe to eat if Steve had been the chef. Darcy may prefer Tasha's pancakes but Steve always got extra points for decoration. Scooping a dollop of cream onto her finger and licking it off Darcy asked, "Where is Steve?"

"He had to go to SHIELD; scheduled training session for the baby agents that he couldn't get out of. This," Jane said, motioning to her breakfast, "Is his apology for missing your last morning. There are more in the oven for everyone else so you don't have to cook; I already ate mine. He would have made the waffles he knows you love so much, but the maker was...missing." Jane finished shiftily. Darcy tilted her head as she popped a syrupy strawberry nose in her mouth trying to catch Jane's eye. Darcy looked to Thor who just hastily took a bite as big as Darcy's fist of his sandwich and shrugged so he wouldn't have to rat on his beloved.

"What have you used the waffle maker for, Jane?" Even though Jane now had all the resources known to man and alien at her disposal to make whatever she wanted, what with working with Stark's money, she still had the odd nostalgic machine making moment where only household appliances would do. Darcy still hadn't really forgiven Jane for disassembling her old hairdryer for its fan motor.

Jane tilted her chin and looked to the ceiling. "I don't know what you're talking about." She sniffed. Darcy smiled and shook her head as she cut into her pancake face and took a bite. Steve was right, she did love his waffles and that wasn't even a euphemism for his ass; he just made super tasty waffles. Banana, chocolate chips and pecans, and Jane had prevented them. Darcy at least wanted to know that it was to rewrite the laws of physics so her sacrifice was warranted. Darcy just remained silent as she ate her breakfast, knowing that Jane would break eventually, she always did. "Fine," Jane groused with a stamp of her foot as she threw her arms to her sides. "I needed the conductive elements for my signal amplifier."

Darcy laughed around a mouthful of powder sugared fruit and was about to tell Jane that all she had to do was go to the stock room, not cannibalise a poor defenceless waffle maker who had only ever bought joy to the people it served, when Tony and Bruce walked into the kitchen. Darcy swallowed her food and spun on her stool, toothy grin in place for them when it slipped a little at Tony's slight limp. She hopped down and made her way over to the science!Bro's, brows furrowing.

"Hey," Darcy said softly as she put a hand on Tony's shoulder, "did we miss an injury from the aftermath of your imagined Hitchcock moment?" Tony rolled his eyes at her teasing and shook his head but she didn't miss the glower he aimed at Bruce and the large, heavy, hardback book of equations he was holding. Darcy sighed, dropping her hand from Tony's shoulder as she turned to Bruce and held her hands out for the book.

"He deserved it." Bruce said simply as he handed the book over. Darcy leaned forward slightly at the weight of it and shook her head with a disapproving look at Bruce who just shrugged a shoulder.

"You can't keep hitting him in the groin with things every time he's an idiot; especially when he's already apologised for the idiocy. He'll have to wear a permanent cup." Darcy was about to carry on with her reprimanding when Jane piped up from across the kitchen.

"Aw, Bruce, you nut shotted him already. You were supposed to do that in the lab so I could watch. We agreed last night." She whined into her coffee as Bruce ambled his way to the Island and leaned against it.

"Sorry. We shared an elevator and I couldn't wait. I'm sure JARVIS has a recording." Darcy sighed, closed her eyes and counted to five under her breath before turning back to Tony who was grimacing and she smiled. Taking his hand she pulled him along to the others putting her free hand on her hip.

"Listen up, losers, Tony and I had a very nice chat this morning and everything is fine. We put the whole thing behind us and I expect you to do the same." Jane opened her mouth to speak but Darcy made a mouth shape with the hand off her hip and a 'shhhht' noise as she snapped it shut. "No. He made a mistake and he's sorry. You once re-built a rainbow bridge, Jane, build another and get over it." Tony snorted a laugh at Jane's scowl and Darcy squeezed his hand in a 'you're not helping' manner. She turned to Bruce and pursed her lips. "I know you hit Tony more for the benefit of not getting the Other Guy agitated than for me, and cool, whatever, but honestly? Everything is A okay." Bruce studied her for a moment, trying to discern her truthfulness, before he nodded. "Awesome; now we have the 'no physical violence in the workplace' talk done, Steve made pancakes."

Darcy pushed Tony into a seat beside Thor, knowing the Norse God liked his flowery speeches now than he did brute force so Tony would be safe and kicked a stool out for Bruce, as she made her way to the oven, but Jane beat her to it with a sweet smile that made Darcy instantly suspicious; sweet Jane was always up to something. Keeping an eye on her as she prepared a pot of Bruce's gross tea, Darcy watched as Jane got the undecorated pancake plates from the oven and placed them in front of Tony and Bruce before she sat in the seat on Thor's other side.

As the pancakes were covered in fruit and enough sugar that made Darcy's teeth ache, she noticed how Jane's eyes narrowed at Tony and her smile became sly; and Darcy's suspicions that sweet Jane was the devil were confirmed, but before she could ask what was going on in Jane's head, the kettle whistled for her attention. Puttering around for a moment Darcy set Bruce's tea down in front of him and she looked up when she heard Jane laugh.

"What's funny, Janie?" Darcy asked as her friend continued to giggle, her eyes not leaving Tony who was digging in to his pancakes.

"How's your pancake, Stark?" Jane asked Tony as he swallowed a large syrup covered bite and Darcy sighed. Of course Jane wouldn't let it go that easily. They loved each other like sisters and Jane was just as protective of Darcy as Darcy was of Jane; whilst Darcy tended to go straight for her taser when in the defence of another, Jane liked psychological warfare. And it was terrifying.

Tony, knowing this, slowly lowered his fork to his plate and narrowed his eyes at Jane. "What did you do?"

Jane hummed and nodded her head side to side. "Is it really me you should be worried about? I was going to have front row seats to you getting hit in the balls, remember? My revenge was sorted. Steve, however, wasn't going to be so lucky. So I ask again Stark: How's your pancake?" Jane leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, small satisfied smirk on her face.

Tony started spluttering and wiping at his tongue with his napkin. "Ewww, what did Captain cook do?" he demanded, reaching for the nearest drink, which just so happened to be the tea Bruce was holding. Grabbing it, he took a swig, swished it around his mouth and spat it back into the cup, before handing it back to Bruce without looking at him; missing the truly disgusted look and loose grasp he had on his sullied teacup. Darcy rolled her eyes taking the cup from Bruce's fingertip hold and dumped it down the drain and washed the cup out; bringing a new, clean, mug back. Although when filled with the greenish liquid that had bits floating in it, Darcy wasn't sure how 'clean' it actually was.

"Steve wouldn't have done anything to your food, Tony. You know how he feels about waste. Jane's just messing with you again." Darcy reasoned. And it was true; Steve still had a slight WWII ration out look to food and got all pouty when any was wasted. Darcy had managed to mollify him slightly by making sure that the local soup kitchens received any and all overflow of packaged products and plates not used at any Stark or SHIELD function.

Jane just continued smirking. "He may dislike wasting food, but he hates when Darcy is upset. Would you put it past him to squander a few breakfast items to get back at you for being a dick to her?" There was silence as Tony and Jane stared each other out, until Thor stood from the table, shaking his head; he knew as well as Darcy what Jane was doing. He kissed Jane on the temple, giving the same to Darcy before he bid his goodbyes; saying he had to prepare for the Lady Sif's arrival.

"Seriously, what did he do?" Tony asked again and Darcy huffed.

"Tony he wouldn't do anything. You know Steve; he would just take you to the side and give you the 'eyebrows of disappointment' along with a speech on how to deal with tense situations. Not sabotage your food." When they just continued their stare off Darcy looked to Bruce with wide eyes for some back up.

"I don't know, Darce. Steve was pretty pissed that you'd cried. It's not like that happens a lot." Bruce shrugged and she saw Tony wince. Godamnit, Darcy didn't want him feeling bad anymore, especially as he had made her so happy for the first time in ages.

"You are no help." Darcy said with a pointed finger, ignoring Bruce's agreeable head tilt that said he wasn't trying to be. "If it's going to be that much of an issue for you Tony, eat mine." Darcy shoved the two of three remaining pancakes towards Tony. "You can be 100% rest assured that Steve's only added ingredients in my breakfast were love and affection."

"Which you should be eating." Bruce said from over the lip of his tea.

"I ate one, the fruit face and the chocolate hair cream. I'm full." Darcy said, ignoring his concern and looked from Bruce back to Tony with a smiled. "Eat up; got a long day of engineering, grease monkey. And you," Darcy turned in her seat to face Jane. "Stop being a mind fuck, you know that it frazzles his brain circuits when you go all super -villain." Jane rolled her eyes but nodded all the same; happy that she had managed to settle her score and most likely not wanting an irritated Darcy for the rest of the day; she did possess the power of the Pop tarts. "Thank you. Now chop chop, eat up; we have a big day ahead of us."

After the debacle that was breakfast, Darcy managed to get her trio down to their respective labs, with assurances from JARVIS that if any of them left to the others he'd tell her. It wasn't that they couldn't be trusted...ok, it was exactly that they couldn't be trusted. Darcy had started to use JARVIS as her version of a baby monitor after her second month into the job of babysitter extraordinaire when she had gone to check on her charges one time too many to find that one or all of her scientists had been waging science scuffles. Having to deal with three pissy super brains was like putting out fires with a water pistol; close to impossible, long and most definitely resulted in burns. And with the mood Jane was in, she wouldn't put it past her to start some arguments just for the shits and giggles of getting into Tony's head.

By one Darcy had been able to complete all of the insurance bureaucracy and organised for a work crew to start repairs on the destroyed lab on Monday. She and the contractor, Tom, were on a first name basis and would often send each other dirty jokes on the bottom of invoices. That had been an interesting conversation with Pepper and Stark's accountant at tax season. It didn't stop her though; Darcy thought it would have been hilarious if her and her blue joke correspondence was the reason for an audit.

Darcy was just about to go to Jane's lab and see what the waffle maker parts had turned into when JARVIS called out to her.

"Miss Darcy, you have a visitor in the lobby."

Darcy frowned up at the ceiling. She never received guests at the tower who didn't have the clearance to come down to the labs, what with almost all her close friends living with her and all the others not knowing where she lived and worked for security reasons. "Who is it JARV?"

"It is a Mr Logan. He wishes to speak with you. Should I tell him you are to busy for an audience at this time?" If Darcy had to hazard a guess at JARVIS's tone she would say it was nearly unimpressed. Although JARV saying 'audience' did make her smile as it kind of made her feel like a princess and Logan was deemed to be an unworthy suitor by her mechanical protector.

"That's ok, J. Tell him I'll be right there." Darcy said as she made her way to the elevators.

The doors swished open and Darcy immediately saw Logan casually leaning against a wall, ankles crossed as he flexed the fingers he was inspecting. Darcy walked over to him as quietly as she could; it was a little test she did on her friends with super abilities or training. She liked to see how close she could get before they noticed her. Clint was always able to tell when she was in his vicinity. He'd let her get in arm range with no signs that he'd noticed her and then all of a sudden he'd reach out, grab her around the waist and hold her close, whispering 'gotcha' against her lips before kissing her breathless.

She made it halfway to Logan when a slow smile crept across his face, eyes not leaving his hand. "Hey there, darlin'" he drawled as his eyes flicked to her.

"Logan." She replied with a smile that bordered on flirtatious. "What gave me away?" Darcy asked as she readjusted the bag on her shoulder and tilted her head to the side.

"Your shampoo, I think. Apple, right?" he replied as he pushed himself off of the wall and closed the distance between them. Standing a little further into her personal space than most usually would, what with her attachment to her taser, Logan reached a large calloused hand up and tugged a curl at the side of her throat, lightly brushing the column of her neck. Darcy's breath hitched slightly and his smile grew. "Yeah, definitely shampoo."

Darcy cursed herself internally for her reaction and bit her lip. "Right: enhanced senses. You could smell me coming." Logan's smile turned into a grin just this side of feral at her wording and she let out a small, slightly scandalized laugh as she lightly smacked his arm. "Classy, Logan; and it's not shampoo, its anti-frizz spray." She corrected trying to rein back the flirty tension that had fallen over them, like it always did when they were together.

Whilst it was her normal way to interact with the man and pretty much everyone else, she wasn't really feeling it; her heartbreak too fresh to truly enjoy it. Flirting with Logan was different from when she flirted with someone else. Steve for example; when she flirted with Steve that was harmless, playful, and safe based on affection and a comfortableness than any actual sexual desire on either part. But when she flirted with Logan it felt like when she would flirt with Clint. Dangerous with a hint of dirty possibilities with the right level of drink, well placed touches and the right combination of words. "What is an X –man doing in Avenger territory?" she asked, hoping her voice was normal and he wasn't being a creep and listening to her heart that was beating at an above average rate. He smiled down at her, placing her hair in its place, the backs of his fingers lightly tracing her collar bone. Ohhh, he was so doing it on purpose and she wasn't going to let him get the best of her.

"Asking out a pretty young thing to lunch." Logan replied with a smirk, his eyes twinkling with something that told her that he would very much like the flirting to continue.

"Anyone I know?" Darcy asked, unable to resist playing along. She knew if she told him to stop he would, straight away. Logan may act the uncaring brute, but Darcy knew better; he had a marshmallow centre. Logan rolled his eyes.

"Come one, Kiddo. Storm had to go back to Westchester and do school stuff; Left me all on my lonesome. Keep a guy company." Logan nudged her shoulder and she smiled up at him.

"I have to work, Logan. Not all of us can get away with saving the world every other week and then vrooming off on the back of a kick ass bike to dive bars unknown." Darcy retorted with a nudge of her own to his chest. As she was retracting her hand from his brick wall masquerading as a chest, he grabbed her hand.

"One afternoon won't kill ya. Especially if I'm here to protect you." He squeezed her hand and she tilted her head up at him.

"One afternoon may not kill me, but Jane and Bruce aren't too happy with Tony right now; I wouldn't be surprised if Jane tried to open the Bi-frost and hurled him to the Jutans." Logan frowned slightly.

"What did Stark do now?" he asked, actual concern evident as his thumb bumped over her knuckles in an absently soothing caress, not that she'd call him out on it, she liked it.

"He didn't take our meeting yesterday too well. He got a little angry at me and the whole thing; I may have gotten a little upset." Darcy rushed out as she looked down at his chest, slightly embarrassed that she'd cried in the first place and was now admitting it to him.

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons I'm here." He said with a squeeze of her hand that had Darcy looking up into his face with a confused frown. "Storm and I felt bad that we put you into a situation like that. Just for the record, I wanted everyone in from the beginning. Secrets always find a way of coming to light and burning everyone they touch." And Darcy let out a humourless laugh. Secrets were all her life was at the moment and she was more than expecting her world to burn down around her. Darcy shook her head with a poor excuse for a smile at his raised eyebrow. "Anyway, I just thought two bird's one stone and all that. I stop being bored and we get to have a chat with some food and drink."

"Logan, badass Wolverine wants to 'Chat' over lunch?" Darcy snorted. She shook her head and smirked. "Well, who am I to turn down such an offer. An offer that I doubt you'll ever be making again so I am going to be taking full advantage." Darcy looked up to the ceiling. "Hey JARV, could you please tell my scientists that I'm going out to lunch with Logan and I'll call when I'm on my way back?"

There was a notable silence where Darcy knew he was telling them and gathering responses. "It is done Miss Darcy. Dr Banner would like it known that you should actually have food and not just a liquid lunch; Dr Foster has said have fun but that she is not overly happy you are going out on your last day without her and Sirs message is for Mr Logan and I repeat: 'If any harm comes to Lewis under your protection I will make sure that those claws find themselves imbedded in particularly painful places on your person. Speaking of those claws, keep them to yourself. No pawing, Wolverine; I have repulsors to test and you would be the perfect subject.' End of message. Have a good afternoon Miss Darcy." JARVIS finished.

Logan looked down at Darcy and raised an eyebrow. "Did a little man who flies around in a metal suit just threaten me to protect your honour?" Darcy laughed.

"Tony has quite the protective streak." She said as she tugged him along by their joined hands to the front entrance. "And hey, just because you wear your metal on the inside doesn't make you anymore super; hell, you can't even fly unless you're being thrown." Logan laughed loud and deep and Darcy couldn't help the smirk she threw over her shoulder at him. They'd almost made it to the double doors out when she saw Steve walking through.

"Darcy." He called with a smile; a smile that faltered and turned to a passive, shuttered stare over the top of her head when he saw Logan standing behind her. Oh, crap. Logan and Steve didn't particularly get along very well from their war days and things tended to get super awkward and tense super fast. "Wolverine." He said in a dead tone that was all the Captain and it made Darcy pouty whenever he did it.

"Captain." Logan returned his tone just as emotionless and Darcy rolled her eyes. This was going to have to be sorted out before the big negotiations or nothing would be achieved.

"Logan's bored and he's invited me out to lunch." Darcy said, cutting into the silent stare off. Steve's eyes zoned onto hers and he frowned.

"Darce." He started but stopped at her smile and raised eyebrows. She knew he had his suspicions of Logan but he needed to trust she knew what she was doing; even if sometimes she really didn't.

"It's just lunch Steve." She said as she let go of Logan's hand and stepped up to him. "Tony's already had the semi-shovel talk, it's all good." Darcy said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek, "Thank you for breakfast, it was delicious and very thoughtful, although Jane has put the idea into Stark's head that you did something to his breakfast as retribution for him making me cry; watch out for booby traps." Steve released a put upon sigh and Darcy continued, "You'd better get upstairs though and get your paperwork done from your baby agent training; Phil will appreciate your well thought out prose compared to Tasha's Russian born sparseness of descriptive writing and Barton's stick figure cartoon boards." Steve snorted and Darcy smiled, glad she could drag him back from the Cap persona.

"Ok, I'll see you later." He kissed Darcy on the forehead and walked passed her and leaned into Logan, where he said something too low for her to hear and that had Logan meeting his eye for a long moment before giving a short nod. Steve nodded back and made his way towards the elevator waving a goodbye as the doors closed and took him to the residential floors.

"What was that about?" Darcy asked as Logan turned back to her.

"The usual; Make sure you're safe or not even my super healing will save me from what all they will do to me." He said and Darcy's shoulders slumped as her head fell back and she let out a long groan.

"Seriously? You'd think I was going to go and meet a guy off of Craigslist whose address was listed as murderer at murder boulevard; not having lunch with a man who has literally saved my ass in the past." Darcy loved her friends, really, she did, it's just they could be such a paranoid bunch of hero types at times. Just because she didn't have any crazy abilities didn't mean that she was going to get herself killed as soon as she left their line of sight. She had survived twenty years without them, one lunch with an X – Man wasn't going to snuff her from existence.

"Well, have you seen your ass? If that's not an ass worth saving, I don't know what is." Logan leered, good naturedly. Darcy laughed and grabbed his hand again, dragging him to the door.

"You're an ass." She volleyed. They actually made it to the door this time when her name was called breathlessly from behind her. Darcy turned around and saw Seth, her driver and sometimes security detail, jogging towards her. "What up?" she called back with a chin thrust as he slowed towards her.

"Hey, why don't I drive you to lunch?" Seth asked as he eyed Logan with minor suspicion. At Darcy's raised eyebrow at how he knew her afternoon plans, Seth expanded. "JARVIS called down to me." And Darcy nodded. Of course her did, the AI had obviously picked up on the tension of the Avengers and made plans to lessen it, as was one of his functions. Defuse situations by any passive means necessary, which was usually locking Tony in whatever room he was in so whoever wanted to kill him for being an ass couldn't reach him until they'd calmed down.

"It's all good Seth, Logan's got his bike." She turned to Logan with a speculative smile, "we are taking the bike right? Otherwise this afternoon out is already starting on a very sour note." Logan smirked and nodded. "See? You can have a Driving Miss Darcy free day. Wolverines got this." But Seth frowned.

"What if he gets called away for an emergency? You'll be on your own without a ride. It's really no bother to take you." Seth tried again. "We can follow on the bike."

"We're just going a couple of blocks, Kid. And I wouldn't just leave her; No matter the emergency." Logan jumped in, staring Seth down slightly. Seth, to his credit, just stared back until he turned to Darcy.

"Ok. But call me if he needs to leave or anything. Don't go anywhere on your own." Seth said seriously and waited for Darcy to reply, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Sure. I promise." Seth nodded, satisfied and left with nods of goodbye. She watched Seth until he was out of sight and then turned to Logan. "Hm. That was weird." And it was. Darcy didn't have to have a security detail whenever she left the protection of the Avengers or SHIELD, not that she was ever really without anyone outside of the two groups, it was just that it made people feel better that they knew she was constantly protected so she allowed it. But they also respected that sometimes Darcy liked to do some small things solo, like go to the store and pretend that her life wasn't stupidly dangerous and abnormal, even if she did have her panic button, tracking chips and taser. Also, she'd not actually fought the security details because she liked to not be kidnapped. There'd been attempts but all had been foiled, but she doubted if that would still be true if she didn't have highly trained agents like Seth preventing it.

"Not really, Kid." Logan said as he opened the door for her. "You got a target on your back, sweetheart. Your people just want to make sure you've got the right people watching it so no one stabs you in it." He let the door close and put his large, warm hand at the base of her back led her to where his bike was parked.

"You're the right people." Darcy said as Logan plopped his passenger helmet on her head and did up the fastener under her chin.

"Yeah, but they just need to make sure. Governmental agencies and super heroes are a suspicious bunch of bastards. Trust ain't easy in this life." Logan tried to move the helmet side to side, looking happy when it barely moved.

"'it's situational, based on experience.'" Darcy said with a small smile, flashing back to her conversation with Tony. Logan smiled for a moment before it was suddenly gone, his nose in the air slightly like he caught a scent. He was silent for a moment, regarding their surroundings, regarding her.

"Yeah, pretty much, kid." He finally said, as he swung his leg over the bike and held his hand out for Darcy to steady herself so she could do the same. She frowned slightly, confused by his shift of attitude, but took his hand anyway and sat upon the warm leather seat. Super heroes were weirdoes sometimes, she'd accepted that long ago.

Darcy scooted herself forward and moulded her body against Logan's; hands clasped across his muscled stomach, chin resting on his shoulder. "Well, giddy up, Logan." Darcy said into his ear as she squeezed her thighs to his hips. "If we don't leave now some other person might pop up and give you the stink eye and tell you to protect me and my honour or risk a death most painful." Darcy teased. She felt his laugh vibrate through his stomach and back and she smiled.

"Whatever you say, milady." He snarked, as he revved up the bike and glided from the sidewalk. Darcy turned her head and leaned her cheek on Logan's back as he expertly weaved in and out of New York traffic at lunchtime.

Darcy liked riding on motorbikes; they gave a freedom that cars just didn't. Steve would take her out every few weeks and they would find a quiet part of upstate NY to park with some food, a book for Darcy and Steve's art supplies. They would sit in mostly silence, the only sound nature, Darcy's iPod dock with some soft tunes and quiet conversation if Steve felt like sharing whatever bought on his need to get on the open road. It was freeing.

She felt the bike start to slow after a few more minutes of weaving between cars as Logan pulled up in front of an Irish pub 'Garrity's' that she and the Avengers liked to go to every Thursday, Avengering permitting; Thor liked to have fun on 'his day'. It was small and usually full of regulars so it had an air of privacy; no camera phones or Twitter updates of a super group night out; it left them free to have dart and pool contests without worrying about it becoming a Tumblr tag documenting how many boards and cues were accidentally destroyed with Asgardian or serumy strength; Although everyone had stopped playing darts if Clint was, unfair advantage what with him being the world's greatest marksman. Logan probably chose it for the same reasons; though she did notice that he took a really weird route, a lot of unnecessary turns that added time to their journey.

Darcy planted her hands on his shoulders and levered herself off the back of the back of the bike, her legs feeling wobbly and tingly from the vibration of the engine on the ride over. She watched Logan sniff the air again and he frowned, before he hopped off the bike as she unfastened her helmet and handed it to him when he stood in front of her.

"Nice choice." Darcy said as she nodded her head to the pub behind her. "They do a killer steak. Well, according to Thor, he ate eight in one sitting last month. It was horrifying." Logan snorted and shook his head as he turned her towards the entrance.

They walked into the slightly dark pub, all dark wood panelling and low lighting, Logan's hand still on her shoulder as he led her to the back corner booth she usually sat at. It was perfect for suspicious spies and alike; it had perfect lines of sight to all the points on ingress and egress along with clear routes to easy accessible exits. Darcy hadn't even had to ask why this was their preferred space, she'd already known and that fact should probably have pissed her off. What other twenty two year old who hadn't had any sort of military training should know that? A twenty two year old whose life revolved around superheroes apparently.  
Darcy took her bag from around her shoulder and she sat in the corner of the booth, Logan sitting to her left. Darcy caught the eye of Callie, the waitress, and smiled. Callie smiled back and made her way over to their table.

"Hey Darce; how's tricks, Darlin'? Haven't seen you in a while; I have to admit I've missed you and your bunch of crazies. " she teased, smile warm and genuinely interested.

Callie was a sweetheart a couple of years older than Darcy, very pretty with blonde bobbed hair and bright green eyes; she was also the pub owner's daughter. Darcy had liked her instantly, but quickly loved her after someone had started in on Bruce with the usual anti-Hulk vitriol, on one of the first night outs he came to with the team; but Callie had quickly kicked the guys out barring them in the process before anyone else even had the chance to take a step. She'd then turned to Bruce, with no fear of a Hulk out, an apologetic smile and a pat on his arm telling him to 'Ignore those arseholes, hon. They have no fuckin' clue.' Before she sashayed away with an 'I'd much prefer you and Big Green than them as my customers.' Tony started leaving some pretty hefty tips after that.

"Eh, you know, Cal; same old same old, just trying to keep sane and some heroes alive. The group's not whole at the moment so no team outings; people tend to get pouty when they miss a night out. How about you? You actually managed to leave this place in the past week?" Darcy asked, well aware that Callie barely left the bar since her father started training her to take over.

"Nope, but I have the weekend off, so small mercies." Callie said with a shrug. "Who's your friend?" She asked turning to Logan with a friendly smile.

"Oh, yeah, not one of my regular posse; Callie, this is Logan a buddy of mine, Logan this is Callie waitress sent from above and all around lovely lady." Callie blushed slightly and took Logan's extended hand with a firm shake.

"Nice to meet you Logan; what can I get you two?"

"Darcy here said something about a steak fit enough for a God, Sounds good to me." Logan said as he lounged back against the seat. Callie nodded jotting his order.

"That comes with greens, potatoes and Guinness. Would you like the Thor special?" Callie asked and Darcy snorted.

"'Thor special'?" Logan asked, smile growing. Darcy grinned.

"Yeah multiple steaks and about a pitchers worth of Guinness. With your metabolism I'd say yes." Darcy advised. She knew that he had similar abilities to Steve and had eaten meals with Logan before; he would definitely eat a Thor special.

"Perfect. Although eight is a bit much. How 'bout three?" Callie nodded again with a small smile.

"Darce? We have that spinach, pine nut, pasta you like." She offered.

"Oh, yum, and could I have a cranberry vodka, please?" Darcy loved being a regular.

"Sure thing, hon. Be about twenty minutes. I'll go get your drinks." Callie walked away, Logan checking out her ass. Darcy rolled her eyes.

"Good luck, bud. I'm afraid she already has eyes for someone."

"Yeah?" he asked, dragging his eyes back to Darcy. "And who's that?"

"Bruce. He likes her too, but is a little hesitant. I'm working on it." And she was. Bruce may still hold a little flame for Betty but that bought with it the issues of General Ross and Darcy knew that was a bad idea. She also had the feeling that Bruce was only holding back with Callie because he couldn't quite believe someone could know that he turned into the Hulk and still like him romantically without having known him before. He had a lot more control and would be more than capable of taking a dip in the dating pool now; especially if Callie was splashing around in it.

"Hm. Good for him." Logan said with an approving nod. Logan liked Bruce so Darcy knew he wouldn't step on any toes.

"Yeah, it is. Anyway," she said, turning to look at him, "come on Wolverine. Why are we here? Earlier you said one of the reasons was to check on me after I finished telling my guys about the meeting. You did that; and as you can see: everything's good. What are the others?" Logan looked at her for a moment and then smirked and was about to answer when Callie came back with drinks, cutlery, napkins and sauces on a tray. She placed it on the table, distributing them and left with a smile and telling them their food would be out shortly. They said their thank yous and Darcy turned back to Logan with an expectant arch of an eyebrow.

Logan chuckled and took a long drag of his drink. "I was hoping you would've had a little to drink before this, but what the hell. Ororo thinks she may have let a little more slip in the meeting than she was meant to. You had a 'Lewis look' when she said something." Darcy frowned and tried to think of what he meant by a 'Lewis look' and he laughed. "Yeah, just like that. You get a frown when you're trying to dig a little deeper into what others would see as an offhand comment but you know there's more to it. She wanted to clarify herself before Monday, but like I said 'school stuff' and she begrudgingly left it to me. She didn't want something else sprung on you."

Darcy took a small sip of her drink and licked her lips, thinking back to the meeting. "'I knew you were the right choice.'" Darcy repeated what Ororo had said the day before and Logan nodded slowly, his eyes searching her face. "And you're here to tell me what she meant." He nodded again and Darcy tilted her head. "Please tell me this is the 'More' that I asked Fury about when you guys left the meeting?" Darcy didn't think she could deal with much more 'more' if it wasn't.

"It is. You were told of one part of the plans we have been devising; unifying the three teams and your part in that process. The 'more' has to do with what your role will be with the X-Men after everything is finalised." Logan confirmed and Darcy pursed her lips.

"I'll go from being negotiator back to scientist wrangler and convincing them to share and share alike like what they do in nursery school." Logan smirked but shook his head.

"Not if I can convince you of what we need from you. When the decision was being made for who would talk for the Avengers we had files; files of potential negotiators and what would make them a good fit. You won every round unanimously. But Ororo and I saw more and we bought it up with SHIELD." Logan stopped talking for a moment and studied her face to make sure he was following, which she was. "Your file showed that you had the ability to be kind and compassionate to those that are decidedly other than you and not because it's a conscious effort but it's just what you do and that's something the X –Men initiative need right now."

Darcy nodded and took another, longer, drink. "Why do you need that?" she asked her fingers tracing the condensation leaking down the glass.

"Not everyone is like you Darcy; others see someone like me and see a mutant, a freak who is just out to hurt them; but you? You see a man, a person, a Homo sapiens superior." He said with an affectionate eye roll. "You flirt and snark and put me in my place and that's what we need more of."

"You want me to flirt with you as my job?" Darcy teased. "Not to give you a big head there, Logan, but it's not exactly a chore to do without being paid." Logan just raised a brow and she put her hands up in surrender.

"No, Darce. Part of being an X – Man is protecting those with the X – gene; either from others or themselves. The majority of them are children; kids who have been kicked out onto the streets by their families once their ability has manifested. Those kids are scared and alone and have very big issues when it comes to trust and 'normal people'. We go around the world to reports of those children and ask if they want to come to Westchester, where they can be safe and educated in normal schooling and how to harness the abilities they possess."

Darcy nodded. "One: that's really awful about those kids being thrown out; no one should be that heartless. Two: it's amazing that you guys take them in; help them, not everyone would."

Logan smiled and nodded. "I'm glad you see it that way. That's why we want your help. Those kids experience with humans without abilities is just plain bad and it can cause issues that people like Magneto will use to their advantage. He preys on the lonely and shunned and twists their sadness into hate. We want you to get to those kids before he does. If you say yes, each time we get a call about a child we'll call you and you'll either come with us to collect them or be waiting at Westchester to help them adjust and trust again." Logan took another drink and Darcy was just silently staring at him, her brain stuttering at what he'd just unloaded.

"That's crazy." Darcy said after another minute of incredulous silence. "Like actual cookoo for cocoa puffs level of insanity. That job needs a goddamn therapist, Logan, hell a fucking team of them; not a poli-sci major who fell taser first into this fucked up life and somehow hasn't gotten herself killed yet." But Logan shook his head and it made Darcy really fucking angry.

"No. They need a normal person, someone who can show them that the greater population of the world isn't awful and doesn't hate them for a random spin of the genetic wheel. And Darcy, that is you. You connect with everyone; you're best friends with the Black Widow; you make her laugh and smile. Someone who had her memories scooped out and replaced with thousands of different ways to kill people. She loves you; And Bruce? You got his smash happy alter ego to like you and protect you, not just the Doc. That's down to you and the person you are." Darcy shook her head again, frustration levels rising.

"No, Tash was already better when I met her. I just didn't allow her defensive scowls to scare me; she wanted friends and people to care about her as Tash, to love her as Tash not some alias for once. And Bruce just needed someone to show him that he should trust himself as much as everyone else did, that he was worth it and people actually wanted him around, so he wouldn't have to seclude himself away in some third world country." Darcy hissed. "I'm getting really sick of people treating me like I have magical fucking abilities to fix people. I don't. No one has the ability to fix someone else, you do that yourself." Darcy clenched her hands into fists crossed her arms.

"Ok, fine. You don't 'fix them'." Logan said dismissively, obviously only saying so just they could move on. "But you do help them by realising what they need and you know it. Stop pretending that you don't help as much as you do Darcy, it doesn't help anything. These kids come to us scared and alone thinking they aren't worth shit. Everyone agreed that out of all the people we've looked into, and it was a lot Darce, you are by far the best suited to make them see differently, to know they are valued and appreciated and not just for what they can give in return but for them, just like you've done with the Avengers. If we can all see it, why can't you?" He asked and Darcy was quiet again.

She knew why she was so resistant. She knew what it felt like to have your parents overlook you for selfish reasons; Darcy wasn't even kicked out she was just emotionally neglected. She couldn't even imagine being thrown away for good did to a child. If it hadn't of been for her Grandpa looking after her, Darcy was certain she would be an even bigger mess than she currently was.

"Logan," Darcy said voice soft, her anger leeching away as she confessed. "What you're asking me to do? That is such a responsibility. Screwing up isn't even an option, you do and you lose; they lose, we all fucking lose. And they've already lost enough. It's too much."

"This was not decided lightly, Darcy. Months of thought and discussion within the most powerful and influential of mutants went into it and the fact you see how big of a deal this is tells me you can do this; more than that? You will do it." Darcy's head shot up anger resurfacing as she was about to curse him out for being a presumptuous dick bag, but he held up a finger and she bit her lips. "You'll do it for the same reason you're helping the Avengers deal with us and the treaty; you wouldn't trust it to someone else in case they screwed it up. You wouldn't forgive yourself."

Fuck, Darcy thought, he was right. Now the offer had been made to her she couldn't say no. There'd always be the part of her that would regret not helping those kids and she felt her anger deflate again. Logan was right, she did know that she helped her friends she just didn't like the recognition it received; Darcy much preferred being a facilitator not a front line force in the sight line of the higher ups. Just as she was about to reply Callie walked up with their food.

"Here you guys go." She said as she placed the plates in front of them. "Can I get you anything else?"

"Yeah, some Jaeger shots please. Actually bring the bottle and some shot glasses, put it on my tab." Darcy requested and Logan threw her an amused smile. Darcy shrugged. "You have to drink on accepting a new job Logan; it's the right thing to do. The American thing to do." Callie smiled and said she would be right back.

"So you're going to do it?" Logan asked as he cut into one of his juicy steaks. And Darcy blew out a long breath as she speared some pasta and leaves.

"I think so. I'm going to have to talk to my people about it. This will be pulling me away from them for really long, extended periods of time to properly help these kids and we'll need to come up with, like, a timeshare of, well, me. But if I can convince them that it's worth it, you've got yourself a deal. Give me until Monday and I'll see what I have for you." Logan nodded as he chewed his bite. Darcy thought of Clint briefly and then dismissed it and their stuff completely. Helping those kids were bigger than him; than them and she wouldn't let it colour any choice she made. This was too important.

"Sounds fair." Darcy nodded gratefully; just because she thought it was a good idea right then didn't mean she would when she spoke to her guys and actually had thoughts beyond 'oh, no sad kids, must help.' Her liefe already was stupidly packed and those children deserved someone who had all of their attention. Callie walked over and placed the bottle and glasses on the table with soft clinks. She smiled and shook her head before walking away. Callie had served Darcy an awful lot of Jaeger based beverages in the past and she knew how Darcy could get. But not today, today was going to be a couple of shots and some food to soak it up. No having Thor or Steve bridal carrying her home, today. Those were paparazzi photos she'd only just lived down.

Darcy filled the shots and passed one to Logan, clinking them with a little salute. "To me probably, very much likely helping those poor little fucks." Logan snorted and they knocked back their drinks.

Lunch went quite smoothly after that. Logan seemed pleased that Darcy had given a tentative agreement and she actually ate a full meal for the first time in two weeks. Logan pushed his empty plate away and drank the last of his Guinness as Darcy did the same with her third vodka cranberry.

"I should get you back to the tower, kid. I have a feeling that Stark may do an Iron Man fly by if I don't." Darcy nodded giving her mouth one last swipe with the napkin before putting her bag on and going to the bar to pay.

She reached into her bag for her purse when Logan made a disagreeable hum and stilled her movements; his wallet already in hand. Darcy rolled her eyes. "I can pay my own way, Logan. Tony pays me really well. Well, Pepper does, but either way I can pay for lunch."

"My treat, Kid. After what's been dumped on you the past couple of days, it's the least I can do." Darcy just shrugged and folded her arms while they waited for Callie to finish with a customer.

"All good, guys?" Callie asked bright smile in place. Yeah she was going to broach the subject with Bruce more strongly.

"Great thanks." Logan said as he passed over the right amount of money for the bill and Darcy was thrilled to note, a very healthy tip.

"See you soon, Cal. The band will be back together and no doubt want to invade this place once more. I might even convince Bruce to do that karaoke rendition of 'can't stop me now' he promised." Darcy called behind her as Logan ushered her out of the pub.

"Later, Darce." Callie called with a laugh a blush and a pleased little smile back just before the door closed. Ah burgeoning romance, too sweet.

Logan plopped the helmet back on her head and quickly did the fastener at her chin, his eyes scanning his surroundings, smelling the air again frowning up a goddamn storm and Darcy couldn't not know what was up anymore. It was her nosey nature.

"What's with the hyper awareness, Logan? That's the third time now that you've used your super senses and gone all frowny on me." Darcy asked her arms crossed over her chest. Logan tensed and carried on looking around.

"I don't know. I caught a scent back outside the tower that I recognised but can't place, but whoever it is doesn't give me warm fuzzies, darlin'; this guy is bad fucking news. Then I got it again when we pulled up here, even after taking a roundabout route. Now it's still here after a two hour lunch. One of us has got a tail and I only picked it up when I picked you up." Logan looked down at her more serious than he ever had before. "Someone's following you sweetheart and they're beyond dangerous."

**A/N: **Hope you lovely reviewers like it. More soon, lovelies.


	7. Chapter 7

Darcy's heart started to pound as she looked around without being super obvious about it; her eyes scanning cars, buildings and faces trying to see if there was anyone she didn't know but could be a possible creepy stalker that either wanted her dead or a way to the Avengers. Her hand went to her chest where the panic button lay and, considering she was fucking panicking, Darcy was really tempted to press it; the idea of Tony flying down to get her making her feel all the better.

And for all that she had dismissed Clint earlier she sure as fuck wished he was there now. All the other times she had been in danger he had been there to swoop in and make sure that she was safe. She could really do with some of his swooping right about now. She could really do with him, full fucking stop and she kind of hated herself for it.

"Are you sure?" Darcy asked as she looked back up to Logan's grim expression; he gave her a tight nod and Darcy squeezed her eyes shut. Logan did a lot of things but he didn't fret without reason and it proved to scare her more.

"Hey. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Logan assured her, his senses picking up on her obvious distress and trying to get her from her haze of fear. "I'm going to get you back to the tower and have a chat with the Captain."

Darcy's eyes snapped back open onto Logan's and she shook her head vigorously. "No, no, none of the Avengers."

Logan's frown deepened. "You're being followed Darcy, and by someone who has me worried and I don't spook easy, kid. People need to know; People who can help." He said as he scanned their surroundings with a more menacing focus.

"I get that Logan, I'm not an idiot. Take me to Phil, he'll help and not go overboard in the process." Darcy said as she readjusted her bag on her shoulder, her hand feeling the outline of her taser. What she needed right then was calm reassurance from a seasoned spy, not the emotional reactions of well-meaning but often overly emotional superheroes; she was getting emotional enough for fucking everyone as it was.

Logan studied her for a long moment, obviously debating his best move. "Fine," he bit out, "I'll take you to Coulson. He'll be at HQ right?" he agreed begrudgingly, getting onto the bike, holding his hand out to Darcy to steady her onto the back; his senses turned up to eleven so he could detect anything and everything for what he perceived as a very real danger to her.

"Yeah," Darcy said into his ear as she situated herself behind him. "He'll be waiting for Clint and Tasha to get back from mission." Darcy said as she held onto him tightly, hoping he couldn't feel her scared tremors but knowing very well he could. Darcy buried her face into his tensed back as he sped away from the sidewalk and went faster than the legal limit to SHIELD HQ; getting her out of sight and danger, as soon as possible.

They were at HQ quicker than Darcy thought to be possible. As soon as they were off of the bike outside the still disappointingly non –descript, office building, Logan sniffed the air and released a low growl with an angry twist of his lips, which were the beginnings of a snarl in her opinion. "They followed us back; they're not fuckin' around Darce." He rasped out as he crowded Darcy into the entrance trying not to look like he was using his body as a shield around hers. Logan really wasn't one for sugar coating things and while she usually appreciated his blunt honesty, as it was much like hers, right then she found herself needing some assurances; even if they were of the false variety; At least until she got her nerves back in check and didn't feel like throwing up. Her legs were shaking and she didn't think it was all to do with her ride on the bike.

As soon as they were safely inside and out of view of the large street facing windows, Darcy extracted her cell from her bag and scrolled onto Phil's contact info; Pressing 'call' she let out a slightly shaky exhale and bought the phone to her ear; her foot tapping a nervous tattoo on the tiled floor of the lobby. It rang twice before it connected.

"Coulson." Was the slightly static greeting she got and Darcy let out a relieved breath in response.

"Phil." Darcy said as brightly as she could, not wanting to freak him out before she could talk to him properly.

"Darcy? What's the matter? What's wrong?" he asked in quick succession and Darcy bit back on a sigh. Fucking spies; of course he could hear she was scared in one goddamn breath and his name. Clint could tell if something was wrong with her on a phone call just by the short pause between greetings, too.

"I need to see you now, please. I'm down in the HQ lobby with Logan." Darcy replied, still keeping the fake brightness even if they both knew it was complete horse shit at this point, but Darcy could keep up appearances when she had to and having breakdowns within SHIELD HQ was not something she really wanted to be known for.

"I'll be right there." Phil said before he disconnected the call. Darcy looked up at Logan and gave him a relieved smile and a short nod.

"He's coming." Logan nodded back as he moved to block her further from view and into a corner. Darcy spent the time it took Phil to get from wherever he was taking the elevator from to calm her erratic heartbeat. Taking deep breaths in through her nose and releasing them slowly through her mouth. She was startled after a few moments when she felt something touch her arm; but it was just Logan giving her a reassuring squeeze, which was slightly better than his animal impressions from before. She gave him a small smile, focusing back on her breathing and the warmth of his hand on her forearm.

Each breath in she took was full of Logan; slightly smoky from his cigars, a hint of cologne and the fresh air clinging to his clothes from the travel over on his bike. She lent her head forward and rested her temple on his chest, finding a small amount of solace in feeling the beat of his heart. Logan's other arm went to her shoulders and lightly stroked his thumb against the joint of her shoulder and the column of her neck. She was a little calmer but her fear was still too present to actually be comforted by him at that moment.

Just as she was about to close her eyes again, Darcy heard the elevator ding and the doors open, looking up in time to see Phil walking out; his head turning quickly, searching for her. She let out a gasped version of his name and darted around Logan as he released his loose hold on her and dashed to a stop right in front of Coulson; her fake brightness and barely managed calm forgotten as soon as he was in view. Phil looked at her in the assessing agent way of his, noticing her scared face and teary eyes and immediately opened his arms to her, knowing what she needed. Phil was well aware of Darcy's like of hugging and wasn't about to deny her then, no matter how unprofessional or how much it damaged his agent of no emotion persona.

Darcy breathed out a jagged breath that was almost a sob and closed the distance, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his shoulder. One of his arms wrapped around her back as the other went to the back of her neck, giving a light squeeze and she relaxed against him, starting to feel a bit better now that she was with him. It wasn't that Logan didn't make her feel safe it was just that there was a difference between feeling safe and feeling comforted and lucky for her, Phil made her feel both.

"Darcy?" he murmured softly into her hair trying to get her to look at him but she just shook her head and held onto him tighter, her face going further into his shoulder; she didn't want to talk yet. She felt him strengthen his own hold and move them back into the still open elevator as he said. "What happened?" in his authoritative SHEILD voice and she knew he was talking to Logan.

"Our girl's got some nasty fucker following her." Logan drawled, the sound of his boots echoing off of the walls of the elevator as he followed them in.

Phil was eerily still for a moment as the doors closed before he said, "Press the exec level. We'll discuss this further when we get upstairs." he tensed and moved Darcy to his side, keeping his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders the rest of the ride to the top floor.

The doors opened to the same empty hallway she had been to yesterday but Phil lead her the opposite direction, down to where she knew his and Maria's offices were. They entered his office and Phil settled her on the ridiculously comfortable black leather couch at the side of the room. He sat on the very edge, releasing his hold on her shoulders and turned to face her, taking her hands in his instead.

"What happened?" Coulson asked as he tried to catch her eyes but Darcy just shook her head again and rested her forehead on his shoulder. She was still in no mood to talk, especially as she really didn't know what was actually happening.

"Ask Logan." She said; words muffled by his suit jacket. She felt Phil look to Logan, could hear them talking, Logan telling him what had happened but all Darcy did was breath in and out, letting the random pressures of Phil's hands calm her further.

It was like as soon as she saw Phil, all of her hyper vigilance had disappeared and left her feeling just plain tired now that she knew she was as safe as she could be without having the Avengers surrounding her. She felt like her brain was short circuiting; each real thought she had just got pushed aside and another was in its place before she could gain any momentum on solving any of her problems.

Stalker. Abandoned kids. Clint. Secrets upon secrets. Stalker. Negotiations. Clint. Lab explosions.

All of them were battling for her attention and she was just too tired to try and fight for which one was most important; even if she knew it really should be her stalking situation, because duh.

"Darcy, I need to ask you some questions." Phil spoke softly after he'd gotten all he could from Logan; she took a deep breath and nodded her head against his shoulder. She knew he would have to; she sat back up but still holding his hands in hers, not willing to give the small comfort up just yet, hoping it would help to keep her on track if she felt herself drifting.

"Yeah, ok." Darcy said quietly, her eyes trained on Phil's fingers and the calluses she could see and feel from the years of handling weapons. Darcy would have normally made some sort of penis-as-weapons like innuendo but she just didn't have the energy and that was fucking concerning. "Ask away, Phil."

"Until Logan mentioned it, did you notice anyone watching you or anything even remotely strange? Seeing the same faces or cars around? Even a bad feeling could be helpful." He asked as he searched her face. Darcy felt a bubble of laughter in her chest but she squashed it back down. It wouldn't be appropriate. But fuck was it funny; her life was full of strange and all she'd been feeling for two weeks were bad feelings, just not the ones that could help Coulson in finding her creeper.

"No." Darcy shook her head. "The only time I've left the tower recently, was to look at the apartment Pepper picked for me with her and Seth and then my meeting with you guys yesterday; I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary and you guys have all drilled it into me to check."

And good god had they; Happy, on Tony's orders, had once spent an entire weekend following her, with Rhodey in tow, after a lost poker game, taking her picture to show just how easy it is for her to be tracked without her knowledge; even by people she would recognise. It had Tony's sweet creepiness all over it. Not that she was too upset, she got one of her favourite pictures of her and Jane from it; the two of them eating ice cream outside central park, they were both having seriously good jean days; its quality was only slightly dampened by the bush that Happy had been lying in to hide from the girls and still get his shot. Rhodey had refused to go that far into the realm of creeperdom, because in his words 'he was a goddamn grown up who didn't look at ladies from undergrowth.'

Then there was the truly terrifying week that Tasha and Clint had spent following her around the city and the tower, jumping out at her and saying 'dead' when the time came that they felt she should have noticed them by. Well Tasha would say 'dead' Clint went for the sneak kiss; which was, admittedly, a very nice reprieve before she had to spend fucking hours being told all the different ways that they could have taken and or killed her. The leather twins did, at times, lack some serious people skills.

Assholes; well meaning assholes, that were just showing their very real concern for her, but assholes all the same. Again, that's why she didn't turn down the security details; she knew her skills weren't anywhere near as honed as the ones who had the goddamn training. Darcy was not a dumbass-she knew who was best equipped for her safety; hence Coulson being her go to guy.

"Other than those couple of times I've been 'hermit Darcy', spending my nights watching 'South Park' with Steve and Bruce. I would have said something if I felt anything strange before that." Darcy said as she rolled her shoulders and bit her lip. Her tiredness and lack of knowing was starting to make her feel flustered and she didn't fucking like it; this wasn't who she was, she could deal with shit and she was going to deal with this. Darcy took a deep breath and looked up to Logan then, who was sitting on the coffee table in front of her, using her frustration to help her focus she asked. "Did you smell it yesterday? When you left before me from here? If you didn't maybe this is new." Darcy hoped it was new. She didn't want to think that someone had been following her for god knew how long without her or her security detail knowing it.

"No, but Darce I came in and out of the underground parking lot; you came in through the front lobby." Darcy scrunched her face up at how he knew that and he rolled his eyes. "That's where Hill went to collect you for the meeting. I wouldn't have caught a scent."

"But you said you recognised it. That it was familiar. You really can't think of who it is?" Darcy asked with wide, pleading eyes.

"It's strange, Darcy; it feels like I've met the person before and I should know who it is but the scent isn't quite right, but I've definitely smelt it in some bad situations; recently too. They're at the back of my mind but I can't shove them forward. It's fuckin' frustratin'." Logan said looking equal parts sorry and angry. Darcy knew that he struggled with being answerless so she stopped pushing; it wouldn't be fair or helpful.

Darcy sighed, closed her eyes, nodded and leaned back against Phil's shoulder, "it's ok." She said letting Phil's presence soothe her again. He untangled a hand from hers and stroked it down the back of her head, leaving it to rest at her neck again.

"Ok, so you haven't noticed anything when you've been out and we haven't received any intel from your detail, or otherwise, to suggest anyone has been targeting you or the Avengers. Well, other than the usual suspects." Phil said to the room but she could feel his breath in her hair. "Logan, do you think you can see if you can track the scent? If not finding the actual person, a place that we can have JARVIS and SHIELD check camera feeds for an ID would be very helpful." Phil asked and Darcy opened her eyes to look at Logan in time to see him nod and stand from his table seat, his eyes firmly on Phil's.

"I'll go now and get back to you when I find something. You get onto those SHIELD feeds ASAP Coulson. I may not be able to tell you who it is exactly but I do know that whoever this guy is, he's no amateur and if he's following the kid he wants something and it ain't going to be anything good." Logan's gaze flicked to Darcy then. "I promise we'll sort this fucker out. He won't get what he wants, no matter what it is." He promised.

"Yeah." Darcy said, giving him a small smile that wasn't nearly as convincing as she hoped it had been if the slight frown Logan gave her was an indicator. With a nod to Phil and a look to Darcy that she couldn't quite decipher, he was gone.

"Darcy, I'm going to call Hill to get her to run the scans and then get JARVIS on the job too." Darcy made a negative humming noise, shaking her head and tightened her grip on his hand as she looked back to him from where Logan had gone from view, hearing the ding of the elevator in the distance.

"No, not Maria, she'll think she has to tell Fury and he'll tell the guys and then it'll become a massive thing. Can't you just keep it on the down low for now?" Darcy's voice was tired but defiant and she knew what she was saying made sense. As much as Darcy loved Maria she knew that Hill would follow procedure to the letter especially when it came to her friend's safety; whilst that was sometimes useful this wasn't one of them. Darcy needed Phil's sneaky under the radar plotting right then. He was quiet for a long moment, studying her face before nodding, seeming to understand her reasoning.

"Ok, I can do that. But Darcy this is already a 'massive thing' to worry about. When it comes to situations like this Wolverine is very rarely wrong. His senses are too advanced and he has too much experience." Darcy held Phil's gaze seeing the very real worry in his eyes and she smiled sadly, nodding her head in agreement.

"I know. He's really freaked and you've got the sad eyes working for you." She teased and Phil raised an eyebrow minutely that had Darcy's smile became a little less sad, his little micro expressions always made her a little giddy. "But whatever, right? Go and get this ball rolling; the sooner this guy's identified the sooner you can all go and kick his ass for me." She joked and Phil smiled at her but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Before she could say anything about it though, he lent forward and kissed her forehead, giving a final squeeze of her hand before he untangled them and left his office to make his covert arrangements.

And then Darcy was alone. Leaning back on the couch she closed her eyes, her weariness overcoming her again at just how fucked up everything was, becoming that much clearer. She raised her hands to her face and dug the heels into her eyes, not giving two shits about her already ruined makeup and slid her fingers into her hair, giving it a little tug.

She was just so damn tired of it all. The other shoe kept on dropping and crushing any and all good and she didn't know how long her frayed nerves could handle it, let alone anything else that would inevitably crop up, as was her life.

Darcy sighed, took her hands away from her face and scooped her hair back and put it into a messy bun at the top of her head, random curls spilling around her face. It had started to feel stifling and heavy against her neck and she had no doubt that she had some serious helmet hair going on, so fuck it, it's not like she had to impress Phil or any of the SHIELD drones she may run into.

Not really wanting to dwell on anything that she didn't have an answer for (which seemed to be every-fucking-thing at the moment), Darcy stood from the couch and took a circuit of Phil's office, to distract herself.

She looked at the odd knick knacks from his trips around the world and the gifts he'd received decorating his work space; smiling when she came across the TARDIS paperweight on his desk that she'd gotten him for his last birthday. She may have hacked that date from the SHIELD mainframe. It had been an interesting meeting with Fury when he'd found out; he just kindly informed her to 'never do that the fuck again.'

So she didn't do it again; she got JARVIS to do it for her instead. Much to Tony's utter glee and Pepper's exasperated amusement. Loop-holes, gotta love 'em.

If her SHIELD friends insisted on keeping stupid secrets, like each other's birthdays, then she was just going to have to dig for them. Even super spies deserved at least a card to celebrate their birth. Darcy had seen the 'Just hang in there' kitten card she'd gotten Fury for his last birthday in his folders; she thought he may have appreciated the seriously old crate of whiskey she'd gotten for him from her and the team; god knew the Avengers drove him to drink often enough. It seemed only fair that they keep his supply up for the next time they destroyed a city block of buildings.

Darcy picked up the yellow faced stress ball from Phil's desk and tossed it from hand to hand as she walked toward the ceiling to floor, street facing windows and lent her forehead against the cold surface, her breath fogging up the glass. She didn't know how long she stayed there staring out at the busy New York day below; tracing shapes into the condensation, but it gave enough time for Phil to come back from starting his undercover sleuthing on her behalf.

"I'd prefer it if you weren't by the windows right now." He said from the door as Darcy turned to him, her head tilted in question. "We don't know who this person is or what skill set they might have; I'd rather not take the risk that they're some sort of a sharpshooter." He explained as Darcy's eyes widened and she nodded her understanding, moving quickly away from the glass and accepting the bottle of water he handed to her with a grateful smile.

"Aren't these windows like some super polymer, you know, the kind of stuff that could survive a nuclear explosion or like a Hulk attack, or something?" She asked nodding her head back to the view she'd just been looking down across. "Because seriously, if they aren't that is just some really bad architecture for a super spy building and adds more weight to my argument that you need a kick ass underground lair, Phil. Your half-assing in this building makes me so sad." She intoned with faux solemnity and disappointment, putting a hand to her heart.

Phil smiled slightly, playing along with her avoidance for a small moment, and made his way over to his desk. "Your opinions on that matter have been noted and ignored Darcy; stop spamming Fury with memos. And Batman comics for what we should aim for are not blueprints, suggestions maybe and bad ones at that; no one wants to work in a leaky cave." He said as he moved the TARDIS paperweight to the side and revealed some buttons under a clear case; flipping the lid, he pressed a few and the room began to darken as shutters covered the windows and then lit up again as the over head lights came on, making up for the lack of natural daylight. "And to answer your question; yes they are able to withstand considerable force, but as I said we don't know their skill set or what resources our problem might possess. Why tempt fate." Phil gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

Darcy took the hint and sat down, crossing her legs at the knee as she smiled slightly, looking around at the room and how freaking cool that was. She may be around robots on a daily basis and an honest to Thor AI, and whatever else Tony had invented, but things like that still made her stupidly happy. Hell, clapper lights still made her smile. She was easily impressed sometimes. Especially at things that meant she didn't have to exert actual energy other than the press of a few buttons.

"So, what's the plan, G man?" Darcy asked as he took his seat behind his desk and she uncapped her drink for a long sip. After her little respite from serious thought, her brain felt clearer and more capable of dealing with what was going on now. She was totally focused on how to handle her stalker issue.

"I've started running searches on the route Logan said he took from the tower to 'Garrity's' and the one he took here. Hopefully something will come up and we can see who this person is." Darcy nodded, glad to see that now he was somewhat less anxious about her follower now he had some plans in action, she found it eased her a little too. "I've already contacted JARVIS; he's searching normal cameras and any and all social media for picture or video taken that coincide with your GPS. He's going further back to track your movements to and from the Tower over the space of the last six weeks, I've given him full access to the SHIELD camera feeds; not that he needs it, he could hack us in no time flat."

Darcy's eyes widened and she swallowed her water quickly to avoid any gross spit-take scenarios, her ease lessening suddenly and drastically. "You think this could have been going on for that long?" she asked, her stomach twisting a little as she squeezed little yellow face that was still in her hand; making it's cute little expression contort uncomfortably.

"I think I have no idea. I'm just covering all the bases. I also told JARVIS to tell Stark and the others that I have requested your and Logan's assistance on some negotiation business and you'll be back later than your lunch allows; and that he should resist the urge to cause an explosion in protest of your prolonged absence." Darcy let out a snort at Phil's trademark deadpan delivery and shook her head but was glad that she wouldn't have to lie to her friends anymore than she already had.

"Yeah, I'm sure they're going to be thrilled with that excuse. They weren't overly happy with our dinner conversation last night, Phil." he raised an eyebrow and she waved a hand at his concern. "Not to worry, Tony shouldn't be too destructive, all good on the home-front now. I even got a present out of it." Darcy preened as she plucked up her necklace for Phil to see. "He felt bad for accusing me of being all chummy with you guys about the negotiations and gave me this. It's a GPS and panic button, too."

Phil looked at it for a moment and then nodded with an approving hum. "It's pretty and practical."

"Just like me." Darcy joked, shrugging a shoulder and batting her eyelashes before she took another sip of water and a thought occurred to her mid mouthful. "You did tell JARVIS to keep this to himself right? No telling the Avengers and friends?"

"Yes." Phil nodded. "I used my override codes. This remains between You, Logan, Natasha -when she gets back- and me." Phil said and Darcy tilted her head to the side with an unimpressed narrowing of her eyes.

"Um, Phil, in case you've forgotten, Tasha is an Avenger." Darcy said in a slow voice like she was talking to a child or Tony when he was busy being a little shit about something stupid; giving a slight shake of her head that had Coulson staring at her blandly in response.

"Yes, Darcy, But it's part of my plan for how to deal with our situation." Darcy narrowed her eyes at him again but remained quiet, willing to hear him out; she did come to him for help after all and her heart may have swelled three sizes from him referring to her stalking problem as 'our situation'; it made her feel a lot less alone and like she had a big target on her back. She nodded slightly and he continued. "I think the best move is to keep as normal as possible; your unwanted shadow doesn't need to know we know about him, even if you coming to HQ could be seen as suspicious. We'll wait here until we hear back from Logan and compile what we've both found. I don't want you going anywhere until we have at least an idea of what we're up against. We'll then send you back to the tower with Seth, not Logan. Motorbikes are too vulnerable to attacks and I would feel better knowing you have more protection. Then you go and get ready for your party, because I don't see you making it back to the tower in time to do anymore work. When Natasha comes back from mission and has finished her debrief I will inform her of the situation. We'll then arrive at the party and Natasha will take you to your new apartment when you want to leave, where she will stay and keep you safe for as long as it takes. With your new homes added security measures, I see no reason for you to stay within the tower while we deal with this."

Darcy was silent for a few moments while she dissected Phil's plan, periodically squeezing the ball in her hand. "Why don't we want the creep to know we know about him? It might make him stop if he knows SHIELD has eyes on him now."

Phil nodded slowly. "It might. Or it might make him speed up his timeline for what his objective is and considering we don't know what that is, we don't want to risk it. With how dangerous Logan believes him to be I wouldn't be surprised if a very good possibility is he grabs you up at the earliest opportunity or just takes you out permanently for his troubles." Darcy immediately blanched at his bluntness and went completely still; her hold on the bottle and stress ball loosening but not enough to actually drop them. Phil, seeming to realise his tone had scared her, softened some before leaning forward onto his desk, his stare intense. "Which is why we are taking all of these precautions; I won't let any of that happen to you, Darcy. I promise."

Darcy looked into his eyes and saw the belief there. He truly thought he could protect her and she was inclined to believe it to; had no reason not to. It was always good to remember that for all he may look like a buff accountant, Phil Coulson was, in fact, a total badass who could kill you with a clicker pen. "I know. The plan's good Phil. We'll do all of that." Darcy said on a sigh, waving her water bottle at him in agreement of his ideas as she closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. Her thumb was showing a slight nervous tick of peeling the label off of her bottle, as she tried to not remember all the examples of how easily Clint and Tasha said they could have murdered her. She'd managed to get half of the label off and to scenario six: garrotting her with a shoelace, in silence when Phil broke it, speaking softly.

"You look tired."

Darcy let out a huffed laugh through her nose, not opening her eyes. "That's because I am, Phil." She opened one eye slowly and looked to him with a wry smile. "My life has become exhausting and that was before this whole stalker-y thing." She gave another sigh and heaved herself back up, opening both of her eyes fully. "Everything's happening all at once and I can't quite seem to process it. My skills at compartmentalisation are shot because I'm so tired of it all." Darcy looked down to her hand and rolled her thumb and forefinger together, gathering the label adhesive into a ball. "First it was Clint ending things out of nowhere and going to save the world someplace super classified, whilst I just have to carry on without him, having our friends give me sad faces and emotional speeches about my well being that make me feel like crap for lying to them for months; then you guys getting me involved in the negotiations from hell; Logan telling me about the X –Men wanting to play super-nanny to a bunch of emotionally damaged kids with abilities and now a fucking stalker. All in a stupidly short span of time and in conjunction with making sure my scientists are looked after. I just need things to stop for a moment so I can put everything in place." She said, looking back to him, but Phil just stared; face carefully blank and it had Darcy shaking her head as she took a large breath, exhaling slowly. "So, yeah, I'm tired." When he continued to not say anything she let her head fall back against her headrest and started to count the tiles on the ceiling. She had just unloaded on the poor man she at least had the decency to let him digest. She got to tile thirty, which looked like a frog if she squinted just right, before Phil spoke up.

"And you're scared." Darcy looked back up to him suddenly and froze, shocked that he had gotten to the core of her neuroses and feeling a little uncomfortable about it; she thought she had been better at hiding that little fact, than that. Phil just smiled his 'I'm Agent Coulson; I can decipher each and every one of Black Widows eye brow twitches, that was nothing.' "I'd be more worried if you weren't, it would mean you weren't taking these things as seriously as you should be. You're in flux, Darcy. You're scared because you know that your life is changing but nothing has actually started yet." Phil said as he stood from his seat and walked to the front of his desk and sat on the edge, never taking his eyes off of her. "It's not a bad thing; it's human. You're going through a lot right now; more than most anyone should, no wonder you're feeling the strain, but if anyone can deal with it, it's you; All of it. Of that I have no doubt."

Darcy licked and folded her lips as she stared back down at her hands. "It's stupid, though; I can face the prospect of alien armies invading on the reg without batting so much as an eyelash but all of this stuff has me terrified." she said quietly as hands that weren't hers were suddenly in her line of sight, gently removing the stress ball and water. Darcy lifted her head slightly and found Phil crouching in front of her.

"It's not stupid to be scared, especially about this person following you; it is scary. It's also not stupid to be scared about people expecting you to be as exceptional as everyone who already know you, knows you to be;" He said as he filled her empty hands with his own. "Before yesterday you lived and worked under the radar, getting things done without being asked and expecting no praise for your efforts; and you were comfortable in the role that you'd carved out for yourself. But now important people have recognised all the things you can be capable of and want to utilise you and your incomparable skills, and that has you distinctly uncomfortable. You like people underestimating you so that you never have to disappoint the people you care for." He looked her seriously in the eye and made a slight grimace, as if he was unsure whether to say what he wanted, before he decided to go ahead and do so anyway. "Like how you were continually disappointed by your mother and father." And Darcy froze again, her heart feeling like it stopped dead in her chest.

"How...What...I don't..." Darcy spluttered for a moment, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly a few more times as she tried to figure out how he knew about her monumental parental issues and how it was playing into her apprehensiveness of the expectations being put upon her now.

"You'd be surprised what your SHIELD file has on you." He said with an apologetic lilt of voice and tilt of his head as he looped a loose curl behind her ear, his palm covering her cheek; the action so surprisingly paternal that it took the wind out of her indignant sails at SHEILD doing what SHEILD did and she just closed her mouth again, waiting for him to continue; knowing that he wasn't bringing up her childhood to be hurtful but for context; painful and personal context, but necessary to his point and her issues at large. He gave Darcy a grateful nod for her not going off the deep end at him and said. "Darcy Lewis, you have so much to offer the world; you are meant to do great things and I know that you won't let the threat of a stalker, the idiocy of an archer, or your own fear and insecurity stop you from achieving them."

Darcy was quiet and still as she let his insightful words roll around her mind and she tried to find the right ones in response. "It's just a lot for me to screw up and I've already screwed up so much with the whole Barton thing." She finally said, leaning into his touch a little. "Part of me just really wants to run." She admitted with not a small amount of shame as she looked away from Coulson's face and down to his chest.

Phil moved his hand to just under her jaw and tilted her face back to look at him, after a moment so she could gather herself, with a soft understanding smile that had Darcy fighting back grateful tears. "But you won't." He said firmly but not unkindly. "Darcy Lewis does a lot of things, but she does not run when things get hard; she stays and she fights and she succeeds. That is who you are and that is who you will always be. You just need to believe in yourself, but if you can't do that right now, use the fear you feel as an agent for change; use it to make you better."

Darcy continued to be quiet. She didn't have the heart to make the point that what he said wasn't quite true. She had run in the past, her lack of a relationship with both of her parents being prime examples. Yes, there may be extenuating circumstances; her parents being crappy people and wanting to keep her sanity, but she had still run when she had had enough of their particular brand of bullshit. Then there was what she was doing by moving out of the tower and away from Clint; it wasn't exactly 'staying, fighting and succeeding'.

But then again maybe he was also a little right; Instead of being afraid of whatever changes coming her way she should try being excited and open to them, she should see them as opportunities of growth and self actualisation (and if she started to sound anymore like a self help book she was going to drown herself in the goddamn Hudson).

And if she couldn't be excited right then she could use the faith that Coulson had in her to fight her fears back and start to actually believe that she was as able as everyone kept telling her. Darcy was starting to annoy herself with all the doubting she was doing when her friends said they thought she could do things. She knew she was awesome, why shouldn't other people.

Deciding to start changing immediately, Darcy found that if she stopped looking at all of her challenges all lumped together in a tangle of 'oh-my-god-no!-ten-people-couldn't-deal-with-this-let-alone-me-on-my-own' but individually like she usually did when things got a bit too much, she thought herself more than capable of handling them and not nearly as afraid. It felt like her brain was taking a deep and satisfying sigh after having the weight lifted off of it; and it was all thanks to Phil and his calling out her hidden fears.

Biting her lip in thought of her new/old outlook, Darcy tilted her head at Phil and asked in a surprisingly strong voice. "I can do all of this, can't I? Stalker and all?" and Coulson gave her a decisive nod.

"No one better." He assured.

Darcy smiled at him before slowly wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him hug, conveying her gratitude with each squeeze.

Coulson hugged her back and said into her ear. "And you won't be doing any of it alone." Darcy hugged him a little tighter and smiled into his neck, happy tears brightening her eyes but not falling.

Darcy blew out a breath and squared her shoulders as pulled back after a long moment, smiling slightly. "You know if you hadn't just completely changed my life with your Obi-Wan speech giving, I would be seriously creeped out by how well you just read me, Secret Agent Man." Darcy joked, as her brain processed her sudden change in life view; already putting plans into place of conversations she would have to have with her team about the negotiations and her job offer.

Coulson shook his head with a smile and stood from his crouched position, he held a hand out for her and she tipped her head up and raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me to dance in celebration, Phil? Because I have to warn you I have been known to tear up a few dance floors in my time." Darcy teased as she stared up at him with a teasing smirk.

"Not right now; but I'll make sure to give you a spin later on this evening." Darcy's eyes widened and she bit her lip on a laugh as she heard him release a pained little groan as he closed his eyes slowly. "You know what I meant." Darcy just grinned up at him as he shook his head when he opened his eyes and looked back down at her. "As I was saying earlier;" he said firmly to change the topic from his unintentional innuendo. "You look tired Darcy, and I have a very comfortable couch." He said with a nod of his head to the piece of furniture in discussion.

Darcy gave him a look that very much questioned his sanity and she let a little laugh out. "Um, Phil, do you not remember the conversation we just had about how packed my life is, right now? I don't really think nap time is the best way to utilise my abilities." Tipping her head to the side and holding up a finger she added. "Also, saying a woman looks tired isn't really a boost for the ego. Next time go with 'your radiance seems somewhat dimmed by recent events.'" She suggested glibly and bit her lip on another smile at his non stare.

"There is nothing you can do right now." Phil told her, disregarding her solid girl advice. "JARVIS and I have our searches running and Logan is out doing reconnaissance. The best thing for you to do at the moment, is rest and keep up your energy for what's to come." Phil told her as he lightly took her elbow and tugged her to standing. Darcy narrowed her eyes at him but he just ignored it and towed her along to stand in front of his couch. "I promise that as soon as I know anything I'll wake you up." And Darcy found herself relenting. She really was tired and she supposed that planning her talks could wait for a small sleep.

Looking from Phil to the couch and back again Darcy finally nodded and removed her bag and placed it onto the floor. Phil, satisfied, let go of her arm as she sat on the couch and she started unlacing her shoes; she paused, peering up at him through her eyelashes, mid unknotting and said. "The shoes may be coming off, Phil, but the ducklings stay on." She mocked, her hand motioning side to side at the baby animals that covered her chest.

"Oh, darn, you have foiled my plan to seduce you when you are emotionally drained; because that's how I like my women: sad." Phil mono-toned and had Darcy laughing as she finished removing her shoes and started to lie down.

"We all have our kinks, Phil. Mine's emotionally stunted archers with ridiculously muscular arms and a wicked sense of humour; so who am I to judge, right?" Darcy said as she moved onto her side, facing Phil and rested her head on her folded arm.

"Sleep." He stressed as he went to his desk and produced what seemed to be a red and gold blanket from plastic wrapping but on closer inspection...

"Phil, why do you have a blanket with Iron Man's face on it?" she asked slowly, a little horrified but a lot more amused at what she was witnessing. Phil sighed as he walked over to her, shaking the blanket out and spreading it over her prone form, tucking her in around the edges.

"Tony thought it was amusing. He got Maria one with Captain America on it." Phil told her as he removed his jacket, bunching it up and motioning for Darcy to lift her head, before he fitted it as a pillow and smoothed some loose curls away from her forehead.

"You got Iron Man and Maria got the Captain? I bet you are soooo jealous." Darcy laughed as she nuzzled her head to get comfortable in the fabric of his jacket, but then narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in thought. "Wait, does Maria use her Captain-y blankey?"

"I have been sworn to secrecy." Phil said as he gave her hair a final smooth down and turned to his desk sitting back in his seat, his fingers swiping quickly across a tablet as Darcy snorted.

"That means she totally does and you're just scared she'll kick your ass if she finds out you let it slip." Darcy said on a yawn and Coulson chuckled. The room was quiet for a long moment after, the only sounds the odd click and swipe of his tablet, computer and cell, before Darcy spoke again. "Phil?" she called out softly. He looked over to her and raised his eyebrows. "Thank you, really. Your support...it means...well it means everything, you managed to see all my problems and put them into perspective and I don't think anyone else could have. I don't think I'll ever be able to verbalise how much you've just helped me; I actually think you may have helped me more than I even realise right now. So thank you for that and for making me feel safe, like you always do." She said feeling awkward in her sincerity without snarking too, but knowing it was worth it when he gave her a slightly sheepish smile and nodded.

"Anytime; now sleep." He insisted and Darcy smiled back before she snuggled down into the fabric of his suit and closed her eyes. The couch really was stupidly comfortable and not even being skeeved out by having Tony Stark on top of her while she slept could keep her from answering the call of slumber.

"The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions."

John A. Simone, Sr. quote

Darcy was woken once again by the sound of people talking, though this time not as softly as Steve and Bruce had been that morning after movie night. She groaned a little as she rolled onto her back and blinked her eyes open, remembering where she was. Turning her head she saw Logan and Phil having a particularly intense discussion if the tension and tone she saw was anything to go by.

"Hey." She called out, her voice still a little sleep rough. "What's with the testosterone showdown?" Darcy asked as she sat up and stretched her hands above her head and pushed the Iron Man blanket down to pool at her hips.

Phil and Logan looked over to her, both with looks of worry and frustration.

"Nothing." Phil said before turning his eyes back on Logan who just shook his head and scoffed. Oooh, discord within the ranks.

"Yeah Darlin', it's nothing. Literally, we have nothing." Logan bit out as he flexed his fingers, obviously resisting the urge to let his claws loose.

Darcy frowned, pushing the cover from her legs and swinging them over the edge of the couch and rested her elbows on her knees, burying her Hulk sock covered toes into the carpeting. "When you say 'nothing' you mean that the searches that SHIELD and JARVIS did found nothing and you couldn't find anything with your super sense-y smell?" she deduced.

"Yes and no." Phil told her in a soothing tone that she didn't actually find all that soothing. Her need for false assurances from earlier no longer necessary after her Phil Coulson pep talk had set her mind and priorities straight; her entire focus now on her stalker problem and nothing else. Compartmentalisation was a close friend of hers once more. If she could give a coping mechanism a friendship bracelet, she totally would.

"And what does that mean?" Darcy asked as she started putting her shoes back on and checking her watch, eyes widening at the time. Shit, it was twenty five to six and she needed to be back at the tower at six to get ready with the girls for the party or people would start to get suspicious.

"It means that the camera feeds picked someone up but whoever they are, are good; very good. They knew where to avoid getting their face captured on any and all cameras. We have been able to define sex, height and weight, though." Phil said as he picked up some photos from his desk and handed them to her to inspect. "Familiar?" he asked even though his tone already seemed to know the answer.

Darcy studied the glossy pieces of paper with a concentrated frown. The man, because it was obviously a man, was tall; just over six feet if the trigonometry diagram to estimate height was correct and very in shape if the tight shirt he was wearing, revealing rippling muscles was an indication. The baseball cap he had on not quite able to cover the hint of brown-y red hair that was just visible at the back of his head. Darcy flicked through the rest of the photos and shook her head. "No, I don't recognise him." She said not taking her eyes off of the images, taking note of the camera the mystery man had in his grasp.

"Like I said he's good, we couldn't even get a reflective image." Phil groused as he leaned against his desk and crossed his arms in barely contained frustration.

"What like a vampire?" Darcy asked, her brain still waking itself up. "Because, dude, if I have some weird Dracula wannabe following me thinking I'm their Mina or whatever, I am going to be seriously pissed." Darcy griped as she put the pictures into her bag and started to fold up Iron Man.

Phil let out a half-hearted laugh and shook his head. "No, no vampires, the cap he wears shadowed his face and made an ID impossible. He even wipes down everything he touches so we can't get a fingerprint to run. This is someone highly trained; military, alphabet agency and otherwise."

Darcy nodded and looked to Logan who shook his head. "I retraced our routes but lost him, he must have had a vehicle somewhere but the cameras didn't pick anything up from where I couldn't track him further."

Darcy nodded again, reaching for Phil's jacket and shook it out to get rid of some of the wrinkles, glad to note there was no embarrassing drool spot. She stood folding it and the blanket over her arm, walking over to where Phil was standing against his desk and leaned into his side a little. "So it's not really nothing. We have more than we did a few hours ago." She gave Phil a little nudge with her shoulder, hoping to make them feel a little better. They had something, even if it wasn't much. Optimism thy name is Darcy. She tilted her head to look at him. "Could you tell how long he's been following me for?" and she noticed his little grimace and turned her head to look at Logan when he released a low growl.

"JARVIS and the SHIELD feed have the earliest confirmed sighting at five weeks ago." Phil said as he retrieved a photo of her and Natasha laughing as they entered a phone store. She looked at the top left corner and saw the creeper leaning against a wall, cap in place and camera in hand. "We're still looking further back."

"I remember that day." Darcy said as she took the paper from Coulson. "We were getting Steve a replacement cell when he broke his old one after a particularly vigorous Flappy Bird session. I told him not to download it, but did he listen to me? Noooo, it was like Candy Crush all over again." Darcy said as she pushed herself off of the desk and walked forward a few steps handing the folded jacket and blanket to Coulson. "Against popular opinion and Tony's relentless teasing, Steve knows as much about modern technology as the rest of us. He's a man out of time; he's not still living in it. He has top of the range phones and tablets and laptops and he knows how to use them all; I've never had to explain one piece of tech to him, he can read instructions, but he always seems to forget about his super strength thumbs and ends up cracking the screens." She said to no one in particular as she wiggled her thumbs in demonstration without looking up from the photo. Darcy made her way back to sit on the couch and get her bag, retrieving the pictures she'd put away and trying to discern how much of her life this guy had encroached upon based on the dates in the corner. She knew that she was babbling but having photographic proof that she had a tail was doing a number on her nerves. "Not that he has that problem anymore; Tony made him a phone that has some kind of protective casing during one of his rare moments of actually admitting he likes Steve and wants to make his life easier. Not that he actually said that, according to him he was all about the science! of it. He's a bad liar sometimes." Darcy felt the couch dip next to her and turned to see Phil looking at her with concern and she grimaced. "Sorry, Rambley!Darcy just made an appearance." She took a deep breath and released it on a sigh. "I just don't get it. All these photos are of me being ridiculously boring;" she said with shake of the photos in her hand. "Me, Pepper and Thor shopping for Jane's birthday presents," She said placing the paper in her lap. "Me and Bruce going to the bank," She placed the picture down on top of the other and continued. "Here's Steve trying to teach me to rollerblade in Madison Square Park. Tony taking me on a tour of some clubs looking for the right one to rent out for a Stark meet and greet with investors; the answer being none. I mean I know that they prove that I'm close to the Avengers and everything but I'm not the only one and I'm hardly the most valuable target for someone to have."

"It proves that they can get to them through you. Sometimes that's enough." Logan pointed out as he leaned against wall between the windows his stance looking relaxed but his frame tense.

"Yeah, but they could get that with Jane and with it the knowledge of how to open freaking rainbow bridges. Pepper can get them access to next gen tech and more money than I can even put a number to." She shook her head as she placed the pictures back in her bag, not wanting to see them anymore. "I'm not putting myself down, guys; it just seems to be a lot of time and effort for such little pay off when there are much better targets." She frowned for a moment and tilted her head. "Could it have to do with the treaty business or the job offer with you guys?" she asked. "Someone might not want me helping out to make a super squad or bringing lost little lambs into the fold." She looked between Coulson and Logan and sighed when she saw the exchange of looks. "No, you don't get to hide things from me. Not to sound self-absorbed or anything but this is literally all about me. Spill it." She demanded her voice hard and unflinching. No way were these bastards going to start holding out on her now.

"It is a possibility that we are looking into." Phil said diplomatically but buckled slightly under Darcy's unimpressed glare. "It is one avenue of many we are looking into. We have feelers out to other agencies and contacts. Only a handful of people know about either venture, so it shouldn't take long to find a leak and see how far it spread. We truly don't know any more than what we're telling you." Phil assured and Darcy had no reason to not believe him except she still had a feeling that he was withholding something; maybe not something concrete but enough to have given him an idea and obviously not a very good one. She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips for a moment before nodding deciding to drop it for right then; but later if she still felt like he was being all sneaky spy it was going to be on like Donkey Kong.

Darcy looked between Logan and Phil before asking, "So, what now?" as she put the strap of her bag around her body. "I'm going to need to head for the tower to get ready for the party and I imagine you have to debrief Barton and Tash soon."

"Yes, they should be about done in medical; band aids don't take long to apply." He said with a check of his cell and Darcy tensed; that meant that Clint was in the building and it was the closest she'd been to him since they'd broken up, the thought made her a little queasy, but at least they weren't seriously hurt. "We'll stick to the plan; Seth is waiting downstairs and will take you back to the tower, he knows there was an incident and he needs to be vigilant; with Logan following on the bike, looking for tails and Natasha will take you home at the end of the night." Phil looked to Logan and he just shrugged.

"If it's still good for Darcy." He said with a look to her and she smiled. She really wanted to pet his side burns for that moment of sweetness. He totes had a marshmallow-y centre.

"Ok." Darcy nodded and stood from her the couch and Phil followed her to his office door that Logan had already opened. "I'll see you tonight?" she asked when she turned to face Phil by his office door.

"You will. This debrief shouldn't take long, we'll probably be there just after eight, knowing Stark though, the party won't actually start until nine." Noticing Darcy's grimace he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be fine. Natasha and I will make sure that Barton behaves himself. You just concentrate on having a good time. Take fun when you can get it, Darcy."

"Ok, yeah." Darcy took a deep breath and put on a smile that wasn't even half faked, maybe just an eighth. "Maybe you should take your own advice. Sif is an awful lot of fun, Phil."

Using the hand on her shoulder, Phil turned Darcy towards the door and a waiting Logan, who wasn't even trying to hide his amusement. "Go." He said with a little push whilst shaking his head, but he had a smile on his face too so Darcy was pleased.

"Fine, but get ready to have your socks knocked off, my dress is totes amazeballs." She called over her shoulder as Logan pulled her to the open elevator doors.

"I will try and contain my urge to take you in a manly fashion." He called back as he put his suit jacket on, dusting the shoulders off of some of her long hair.

"You know, if you and Sif had gotten your acts together months ago you could of been able to use the 'were I unwed' part of that quote." She countered but missed what he said back when Logan gave her a little nudge into the waiting elevator car. She did not however miss the loud 'thank you, Logan' he shouted. "Hey!" she yelped with a pout as the doors closed and Logan punched the button for the lobby.

"Leave the man alone." Logan quipped with a smile as he came to lean against the wall next to the corner Darcy had lounged herself in, arms resting on the handrails. "I've met Lady Sif, he's going to need all nerve he can get to face her and your teasin' won't help."

Darcy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Please, Sif's a love. And I know for a fact that she likes Phil in an 'I wanna rock your body' kinda way." Her nose scrunched a little and her brow furrowed. "She told me in some very graphic detail the last time she took a rainbow trip. I had to stop her from drawing diagrams to explain some of her moves. Unfortunately Phil was off cleaning up another Barton/Romanov thing so she couldn't do any hands on playtime." With an exaggerated shudder, she shrugged. "Although, some of what she described did make me regret turning down Fandral, that could have been a good alien warrior sexy times." She said with a quirk of a brow and Logan snorted.

"I'll take your word for it, kid." Leaning his head back to rest on the wall, he rolled his head to the side to look at her and narrowed his eyes a little as she made sure she didn't have panda eyes and her hair wasn't a nest. "Why're Romanov and Coulson keeping Barton a leash for ya?"

Darcy whipped her head to look at him, mouth open a little in shock of his question. She looked away slowly and chewed her bottom lip for a moment as she smoothed the last snarl of hair away. "You know how Barton can get. They probably just don't want me stressing any more than I have to." She lied and she felt quite convincingly, but casting a look at her elevator companion said otherwise.

"You know I can hear your heartbeat, right? Try again." He said with a raised brow, crossing his arms exuding stubbornness.

"It's really nothing for you to worry about; just stuff." Darcy hedged hoping with all the hope she processed that he would drop it and considering she wasn't really lying to him there was no reason for him to pursue it any further. But hope was obviously for idiots when he continued.

"Stuff like why you're miserable?" Darcy frowned and looked back to him. "You can put on a pretty smile and snark with the best of us kid, but you ain't happy. The last two days I've seen you angry, defiant, flirty, scared and stubborn but underneath it all you've been sad; and I'm guessing that has something to do with Barton, if Coulson shooting down my suggestion to get Hawkeye involved with looking for your stalker and the way your heart constricted when you heard he was in the building." Darcy looked away from his all too knowing look and stared at the opposite corner.

"We were together and now we're not." She said after a moment and then looked back at Logan with narrowed eyes and said. "It's also a secret; so keep it to yourself, Wolverine."

"Sure thing." He agreed after he studied her for a moment before looking away. "Falling for a super hero ain't smart kid." Logan said quietly, still not looking at her.

Darcy gave a humourless laugh and leaned her head back looking at the maintenance hatch on the ceiling. "Yeah, well, law of total probability, right? My immediate and not so immediate circles consist mainly of super heroes; Kind of inevitable, if you think about it. And then there's the kicker that he is one of the best men I've ever met, I never stood a fucking chance." Feeling his eyes on her she looked down to see a flash of sadness and regret in his eyes. "But you already know that, don't you." She gave him a sad smile and moved to stand next to him, her head resting on his tense shoulder, hand on his crossed arms. "We've loved people, had them love us back and then we've lost them; but I think we both know, no matter how not smart it is, we'd do it again in a heartbeat. Wouldn't we?" she asked when she tilted her head up to look at him.

Logan turned his eyes down to her and let out a heavy sigh before nodding, the sadness still there but with a little fondness to take away some of the sting. "In a heartbeat, darlin'; in a goddamn heartbeat." He agreed as he loosened his stance and relaxed a little against her. Darcy smiled and closed her eyes for the rest of the ride down, happy in the knowledge that her secret was safe with someone who could understand and empathise without being patronising.

She felt the elevator slowing to a stop and opened her eyes on the bump of it reaching its final destination. Logan uncrossed his arms and Darcy leaned away from him, allowing him to roll off of the wall. He captured her hand and led her out of the elevator and back into the empty lobby, everyone non-essential home or in the bowels of the building doing super-secret after hours spy work, keeping her out of sight the best he could by keeping her behind him. She could see Seth waiting at the doors waiting for her and a not too pleased look on his usually happy face; before she could reach him though, she heard her name being called. She felt Logan tense for a moment but relaxed when he put a name to the voice at their backs.

"Maria." She called back as she turned to see her walking slowly towards her and Logan with a blank stare, but Darcy could see that her friend was suspicious of their presence in the building so late. "Leaving for the tower?" Darcy asked casually, motioning to the garment bag, go bag and purse she was holding in one arm.

"Yes, Pepper text me and said her and Jane are already in Jane and Thor's suite; apparently she's struggling to keep Jane out of the tequila supply before we show up, 'Worse than Tony' may have been muttered about her sneaking drinks." Maria said as she studied Darcy and Logan, noting his vaguely defensive stance and lingering on their joined hands for a long moment and raising a brow when she reached Darcy's face. Darcy smiled as innocently as she could and squeezed Logan's hand to get him to be more casual about the whole thing. "What are you two doing here?"

Darcy opened her mouth to answer but Logan cut in. "I took Darcy out to lunch and told her about the X – Men's request for her assistance. Then we came here to see Coulson." He said in a deep drawl that showed no sense of deceit. Not that it would as he didn't actually lie. Darcy smiled a little and stroked her thumb against his hand in thanks for the save of her not having to lie to Maria.

Maria scowled at Logan and her jaw ticked. "When we asked you not to until after the negotiations? Fantastic, Logan; we agreed not to say anything so that the Avengers didn't get petty and make things even more difficult for taking the precious away." She bit out, motioning at Darcy who couldn't help but smile at the reference.

The Lord of the Rings was how she and Maria had become friends in the first place. Darcy had caught her reading a Stark pad version of 'The Fellowship', during various lunch breaks when Darcy was dealing with SHIELD paperwork during her first few weeks in her job with the Avengers, and always pretending it was some important after action reports that needed her attention. The next time Darcy went to HQ she took with her one of her two first edition trilogy sets leaving them on Maria's desk in her office (that Phil had let her into, she was sentimental not suicidal); with a note saying 'Tolkien should be enjoyed with paper, Assistant Director Hill, not a Stark pad. A much more immersive experience, I think you'll find." The next time she saw Maria a few days later, in an elevator, she'd held the door open for her and said, "You were right, Miss Lewis, a much richer experience." And Darcy smiled saying, "I find things are always much better when you take any and all traces of Stark out of the equation. Why do you think I still use my IPod and not one of those God awful Stark players he keeps trying to force on me?' She turned when she heard her laugh and held out a hand, 'And it's Darcy. I'm glad you're enjoying them.' Hill took her hand in a firm grip and gave an appraising stare before smiling and saying 'Maria. I'll have them back to you when I'm finished.' Darcy had just scrunched up her nose and waved her hand when it was released. 'No, it's a gift. My grandfather always told me that books should be shared and I have another set at home.' Noticing Maria looked a little confused at the offer of friendship, as shrouded as it was, Darcy continued. 'If you want, you could bring some wine to movie night if this is feeling a little disparate.' She carried on at her raised eyebrow. 'The movie night I'm having Saturday to watch the trilogy in full, with the girls of the tower.' When she still didn't look convinced Darcy went for the big guns. 'I'll even share my Gummi bears with you; I never share my Gummi bears.' And Darcy knew she'd won when a smile quirked Maria's mouth before she nodded. 'Cool beans,' she grinned as she left the elevator on the entrance floor with a departing, 'See you at four on Saturday, Maria.' Relishing in the shocked and confused stares of the SHEILD minions at Hill having a friend like Darcy Lewis. Thus the 'Fearsome Fivesome' was born from a movie night and grew up into shopping, clubbing, meals and just nice old fashioned chatting over drinks on lazy nights in.

"The kid deserved to know. I told you I don't like lying. She took it well, gonna have think about it for a couple of days, aren't ya?" Logan said with a tap on her shoulder.

"It's fine, Maria, really. I prefer to know and my guys will just be all the more pissed if they found out SHIELD was hiding more from them. If I can talk them into coming on Monday, I can talk to them about me maybe leaving." Darcy assured her friend who just closed her eyes and took a deep, hopefully calming, breath.

"Ok, fine, it's done now. Adapt or die." Maria said with narrowed eyes at Logan but turned softer ones on Darcy. "How are you getting to the tower?"

"Seth's driving. You could join me if you like, instead of waiting for your car service." Darcy offered as Logan started to pull her to the door and Maria nodded.

"Makes sense; going to the same place after all." She agreed as she walked through the door that Seth had open for them, he then jogged and opened the backdoor for Maria to get into. "I see Logan's taking the bike, I'll give you two a moment."

Logan tugged Darcy away from the open door a little to make sure Maria couldn't hear them and held up a finger to Seth to have him wait. "I can't smell him." He said in a low voice in her ear and Darcy felt the tenseness between her shoulders release and she placed her palms on his chest. "I'll follow back and walk you in with Seth, just to be sure; after that you'll have the Avenger's watching your back. You'll be safe."

Darcy looked up at him and smiled. "Why don't you come to the party? Good food and drink, plus they have a really nice guest wing or you could come crash at mine when Tash and I leave, I have some spare rooms and Tash will probably sleep in my bed with me anyway." Logan smirked and quirked a brow and Darcy laughed. "Yes, yes, Logan, two women sharing a bed; how can we not have sex?"

Logan chuckled and chucked her under the chin. "A guy can dream, Darlin'." But then he shook his head. "As much as fun as it sounds I can't, I got some leads to follow up and I don't want them going cold on me." At Darcy's sad little pout, he assured "It's all good kiddo, Coulson'll be there, he'll have your back and if you really need me I won't be far." Darcy nodded.

"Ok, but I am totally going to make you dinner when this is all over, Logan." She said as she pushed away from him and walked back a little towards the car.

"That to make Barton jealous?" he asked with an amused smile and Darcy scoffed.

"Screw that guy, right? That is going to be me thanking a very good friend for be being a sweetheart in my time of need."

"Damn straight. I'll see you at the tower." Darcy smiled and got into the car next to Maria and Seth closed the door, she could just make out the two men chatting by Logan's bike, when Maria spoke.

"So you and Logan?" She led and Darcy huffed a laugh.

"He's a very good friend." Darcy replied putting on her seat belt and turning to look at Maria's profile. "And a good guy; a bit rough around the edges but it just adds to the charm." And Maria nodded.

"Just be careful, Darcy." Maria said as she turned her head to look at her. "His history with relationships is not a very good one. His life, our life, doesn't really allow for happy endings."

"Then I guess it's a very good thing we're just friends then." Darcy reiterated, not wanting her friend to worry about her unnecessarily and deciding that she was going to have a seriously long conversation with her friend about not everything has to end happily to have fun when it's happening. Maria studied her for a moment and nodded, happy that Darcy was telling the truth.

"I have to say I'm very glad that you still have Seth as your security detail." Maria said as she looked in the rear view mirror at where he and Logan were still talking; thankfully the angle precluded lip reading so Maria couldn't practice her lip-reading spy craft and bust them.

"Why's that?" Darcy asked as she took a peek into Maria's garment bag and smiled, pleased that she had gone for the royal blue silk cocktail dress they'd brought a few months before.

"He's a very good Agent. Trained with Barton and Romanov at the academy, one of our best according to them; he was supposed to go on assignment a few weeks ago but was swapped out for someone else."

Darcy's movements slowed as she re-zipped the bag and settled back in her seat. "Hm, Barton and Romanov trained him. Must be good; but if he's so good then why was he replaced for this mission?" she asked as nonchalantly as she could, something was niggling the back of her mind but she didn't have enough information to flesh it out.

Maria shrugged. "Happens sometimes, but I think this had something to do with continuity of care." Darcy frowned and Maria explained. "His rotation being your detail; we don't like changing it up too much; things get missed in the shuffle of personnel and leaves holes in security." Darcy nodded her understanding and looked to the mirror for a second, looking at Seth and Logan shaking hands and going to their respective vehicles. Darcy frowned slightly because now Seth was in the car she couldn't ask any more questions and her theory was left half formed.

"To the tower?" he asked once he was seated and belted, the mirrors checked.

"Please, Seth." Darcy answered, deciding to leave it for then. "So how was work, Maria?" and Maria groaned.

"People are idiots." She grumped and Darcy snorted, settling back and letting her friend unload her bad day to her. Half way to the tower and half way through a story of how Fury nearly punched another Senator, Maria frowned. "Is there a reason that Wolverine is still following us? We passed the turn to his hotel two corners ago."

"Oh, yeah, that; he's just doing what he promised the guys, you know making sure I get from A to B safely. Steve at his most Captain-y had a word, as did Tony and JARVIS for that matter. I don't think he wants anymore bad blood between them than the... thing has caused." Darcy stumbled, not wanting to say any more than that in front of Seth, not knowing his clearance level.

"Ah, right." Maria nodded and went back to her story, satisfied with Darcy's not quite a lie not quite the truth.

Darcy was laughing so hard at how Maria had to trip a lawyer to cause enough of a distraction to gains Fury's attention from his murderous rage at said Senator that she almost missed the car stopping in underground parking.

"Oh God, I hate that Senate meetings aren't recorded." Darcy spluttered as she exited her side of the car, Maria following her grabbing up the bags so she could get out easier.

"It was something to see." Maria agreed as she took her belongings back with a soft smile. "Thank you. I need to get out of this." Maria said with a motion to her work gear. "And into a shower before I even think of pouring myself into this thing." She said shaking the garment bag.

"Ah, but what a tall drink of water you'll make. I know my mouth went dry when I saw you trying it on." Darcy lilted as Maria shook her head with an amused smile.

"Yes, your wolf whistles and cat calls caught the attention of the entire store. If Pepper hadn't been with us I'm sure we would have been kicked out."

"I calls 'em like I see's 'em, Maria and you are one hawtass babe." Darcy said with a shrug and dismissive wave of her hand.

Maria was about to say something when Seth cleared his throat, his face as red as when she was teasing Phil about him and Sif doing it. How was this guy one of the best if he got all beetroot like in the face of sex talk? "Sorry to interrupt Assistant Director, but I have to talk to Darcy about her travel plans for tonight."

Maria nodded at Seth before turning back to Darcy. "Where should I go to shower now that your room is no longer your room?"

"Oh, yeah, hey, JARV could you light up Maria's world and guide her to a guest suite closest to Jane's? And tell Bruce I'm going to use his shower, please, so he's not shocked by a wet and sudsy Darcy, not that he hasn't seen it all before." Darcy called to the ceiling enjoying the choked laugh from Logan.

"Of course Miss Darcy; Assistant Director Hill if you'll just follow my lighted path." JARVIS spoke as he lit a route to the elevators.

"I think I could have found my own way to the elevators JARVIS." Darcy heard Maria say.

"Of course you could, Assistant Director." And Darcy snorted; he really was Tony's AI sometimes, especially when dealing with higher up SHEILD personnel and his perceived incompetence they had.

When Maria disappeared into the elevator and departed on a wave, Darcy turned to the two men in the underground garage. Deciding to get to the point and needing her half-formed theory from the car confirmed or denied. She levelled Seth with a glare worthy of the Black Widow and asked. "Did Barton stop you from going on a mission so you could carry on being my detail while he was away on his own assignment?"

Logan whipped his head to give Seth, with a glare of his own and balled his hands into fists; but Seth just stood as calm as ever.

"Yes." Was all he answered; after waiting a long moment, Darcy widened her eyes and shook her head.

"Going to need more than that, Seth, or I might just let my friend here turn you into a pincushion." She said with a nod at Logan who 'snkkt' out his claws and still Seth was as calm as ever. "And I will taze you so hard you'll smell burnt hair for a month. I'm done with secrets."

"I can't tell you more than that, Darcy. I said I wouldn't." Seth said with what looked like real remorse and Darcy sighed.

"Oh, bub, wrong answer." Logan all but growled as he took a step forward but Darcy shook her head at him.

"No Logan." She said quietly, and he stopped but didn't step back. Darcy looked back to Seth and said, "Maria said you trained with Barton and Romanov, that you're one of the best that SHIELD has to offer," Darcy cleared her throat and bit her lip. "And Clint would only trust my safety with the best. So just nod yes, shake your head for no and shrug for you don't know. Please." Seth clenched his jaw and looked conflicted for a moment before nodding his agreement. "Thank you. Were you aware that I'm being followed?"

He nodded yes.

"Did Barton tell you?"

Another nod.

"Did he tell you who it is? Or who he thinks it is?"

He shook his head.

"Did he tell you right before he went onto his mission?"

He shook his head.

"A week before?"

Another shake.

Darcy felt tears building as well as a sense of foreboding. "A month?"

Seth nodded with a sad grimace as Darcy's face crumpled for a moment. Clint had been lying to her for weeks. Pushing it away she continued her questions.

"Do you know if anyone else knows?"

He shook his head.

"Do you have any idea who it is that's tracking me?"

Another shake, this one slower, a little annoyed look on his face.

Darcy closed her eyes for a moment and let out a shaky exhale before opening them and looking to Logan. "Any questions?" she asked as she herself couldn't think of anymore.

Logan looked between Seth and Darcy with narrowed eyes. "They can wait until you're up getting ready for the party." He turned back to Seth and thrust his chin to the door. "Get over there kid, I'll deal with you in a minute." Seth nodded and walked towards the garage door leading to the mechanic offices before turning back and looking at Darcy.

"For whatever it's worth? Barton was wrecked and he hated lying to you."

Darcy gulped on a sob and Logan came and wrapped her in a hug as she tried to get herself under control. Was this why Clint had said she was a mistake? Was this the reason he'd broken up with her? It would make sense but she didn't want to think on it just then. It wasn't her most pressing issue and she needed to drag herself back into order.

"You can let it out Darcy." Logan said into her hair, but she shook her head against his chest as she breathed deeply.

"No, I can't, I have a party to get ready for." Darcy said as she pushed away from him and wiped under her eyes. Her most pressing issue was her leaving party; she had to keep putting on a good show until they knew exactly what was going on and even though they had more answers there were too many questions that needed answers.

"Yeah, you do. I'll get in touch with Coulson and tell him what we've found out." Logan said as ran a hand over his face.

"No, don't tell Phil."

"I thought you were done with secrets?" Logan said with a little venom that made Darcy grimace.

"I am, but this is barely a secret, I'm just withholding a piece of information until a better time arises to bring it up." Darcy reasoned, knowing full well that she was relying heavily on semantics. "Telling him now won't achieve anything; he can't do anything except be pissed at Barton and that doesn't set a very good atmosphere for a party. Until we can all talk about what we know I'll have Tash and Phil in the know as much as necessary and be surrounded by super heroes, I'll be safe. We just have to keep up appearances until I can talk to Clint."

Logan ground his teeth and blew out an agitated breath. "Fine; you have until tomorrow afternoon to get Barton talking. If not I tell Coulson regardless." He stared at her until she nodded that she agreed and carried on. "I'll see if I can get anything else from the kid and follow up those leads. Tell Coulson that we should meet up at your new place tomorrow so we can go over everything we've found out; it'll be safer to keep you out of sight and in the Widow's protection for the time being. That's your deadline Darce." Logan sighed and took a step forward and cupped the side of her neck, his thumb stroking behind her ear, obviously not enjoying playing the hard ass when she's stressed. "Keep your chin up for a little while longer, kid; things are falling into place. With what we know now and what we knew before we're in a much better position." He smiled a little and she raised an eyebrow. "You want some good news? Whoever was following you didn't track us back here from SHIELD." Darcy let out a relieved sigh and Logan's smile widened; pulling her forward with the hand at her neck he kissed the top of her head.

Darcy put her hands back to his chest and smiled. "That is good news." Looking over his shoulder, Darcy saw Seth leaning against a wall. "If you're truly insistent on not coming to my party you and Seth should probably get to talking and being all Nancy Drew."

Logan pulled back and shook his head. "Hey, trust me, right now I think if I saw Barton I'd have a little trouble with my temper; somehow I don't think gouging holes into one of their teammates will ingratiate me with the Avengers and that'll only make your job harder for the negotiations, no matter how much he'd deserve it for making a shitty situation shittier."

"How very considerate of you." Darcy said dryly with a roll of her eyes. "Now, go I have to make myself pretty." She ordered with a light shove to his chest. "And tell Seth I'll text him when I need him to pick me and Tasha up and if you could return him sans injury I would be very grateful. Tony hates it when we get his car upholstery stained. Apparently scotch guard, while within budget, is tacky."

"I'll see what I can do kid." Logan chuckled as he let go of her and walked back a little; his amusement leaving as he gave her a serious look and she tilted her head in question. "Barton obviously knows what's going on or at least some of it and as much as he is pissing me off right now, it sounds to me he that broke things off with you to keep you safe. He did put his best guard dog on you after all, made sure you were as safe as possible when he couldn't do it himself. From what I know about the guy, he may have been doing what her thought was best." He said, although it obviously pained him greatly to even give Barton an inch of consideration for the stunt he pulled.

Darcy looked to the floor and twisted her hands in her sleeves. "He also lied to me for weeks and left me in the dark about something that directly affected me instead of having a conversation like people do in relationships, deciding to end it instead." She shook her head and looked back up to Logan. "I'm caught between being angry and hurt, to missing him, feeling bad for him, because if he has hurt half as much as I have over this break up then...I just want him to feel better because I'm the idiot who still loves him and I don't like the people who I love being in pain."

"That's because you're good." Logan said as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Only when I'm not being bad." Darcy said before shaking her head of the snark, now was not the time for it. "No, but I am good enough to take Phil's advice. He told me to talk to Clint and I think that's the only way we're going to sort this mess out. That man seems to hold all the answers to every question I have and no matter how confused and angry I am I need to give him the chance to explain."

Logan smiled and shook his head as he looked over face, studying her. "You're amazing, kid. And God do we need your help in Westchester."

Darcy blushed and bit her lip. "And I need to talk to my team. One life changing thing at a time Logan; let me move out, talk to my ex, sort this stalker business, deal with the negotiations and then we can get into me being Mary Poppins to your sad little orphans up in that X-mansion of yours; which by the way? Is the worst name I've ever heard for a place as badass as that."

"Can't fault a guy for trying." Logan said as Darcy backed away towards the elevators.

"Oh you can, I just won't." She said as she entered the elevator and pressed the button for the residential floors.

"And what's the matter with the 'X-mansion'? I think it's a good name." Logan called as the doors started to close.

"You would." She shouted and the last thing she heard was Logan's laughter before the doors shut.

**A/N:** Ok, long wait was too long and I have reasons but whatevs, who cares; I'm just sorry.

I love all you reviewers and readers, y'all are sweet.


	8. Chapter 8

Darcy leaned back against the elevator wall after checking her makeup for tear streaks and took a moment to breathe. She knew that as soon as the doors opened she would have to act as though everything was good and that nothing new was bothering her and she needed to prepare for that. Even if the preparation had to take place between floors.

To Darcy's grateful surprise, organising her thoughts took less time than she thought it would; she just shoved everything else to the side that wasn't about having a good time at the party and built from that. She ignored the stalker, what Clint did or didn't know and what seeing him again would be like. She disregarded Logan's so not at all subtle suggestion that she take the job he offered and all other unimportant for the moment worries. That was for future Darcy to worry about and present Darcy was more than happy to let her handle it.

Her new outlook was kicking some major ass and she was glad for it; she'd spent way too long drowning in her own sadness and not enough time keeping herself above water in the air of her own awesome.

Just as she was about to decide if she was emotionally stable enough to enjoy a drink or five that night, Darcy was startled from her quiet contemplation when JARVIS spoke to her.

"Miss Darcy, I felt I should inform you that per Agent Coulson's request I had placed the underground garage under his chosen privacy setting as to avoid unwanted peoples being privy to your situation whilst you were conversing; I shall do so each time the topic is being discussed within the tower. Your secret is safe for as long as it need be and I am doing my best to find more information to aid in keeping you safe." JARVIS said, his voice reverberating around the small space.

Darcy stilled and looked towards the ceiling, biting her lip. "Thank you JARVIS. I hadn't even thought about doing that." And she really hadn't; she'd been so determined to finally get some answers that she had forgotten that Tony had the always grossly invasive and only sometimes funny, habit of watching camera feeds and listening into people's conversations just because he could. Although he had stopped doing that to Tasha; neither would say what had happened, but Tony had walked with a limp for a good long while after their 'discussion' ('Translation: she kicked his ass' according to Clint and anyone with eyes.) The idea of having Tony, or anybody else, finding anything out that way made her stomach twist and her chest ache. She would have to be far more careful even with JARVIS watching out for her. "And I know you're doing what you can and I am beyond thankful for it; if anyone can find something, it's going to be you." She grimaced a little and added. "And I'm sorry that Coulson overrode you."

"No thanks or apologies necessary, Miss Darcy." Was his warm reply which she was appreciative of because she knew how much he disliked having his systems overridden and she didn't like being the reason for it.

Darcy nodded, looking to the floor and smiling before she tilted her head to the ceiling again and changed the subject to something lighter. "Hey, JARV, everyone's out of the labs and is getting ready for the party, right? I'm not going to have to go down and remind people that we are social beings in need of human interaction outside of the science!circle, am I?" Darcy asked, getting back to basics seeming to be the best idea and nothing was more basic than checking in on her lab monkeys.

"Sir, Dr's Banner and Foster are all out of their labs and in their respective abodes preparing for the coming celebrations." JARVIS confirmed.

Darcy sighed happily and smiled, but it faltered and became a grimace when a thought struck her. "JARV, buddy; everything's good, right? There were no incidents that require my attention, medical, emotional or otherwise?" She only just realised that she'd left her three volatile, when in the zone, brains unsupervised for hours. She dreaded to think what shenanigans had been pulled, especially considering the mood Jane had been in that morning; she just hoped the labs and body parts were still intact.

More so the labs; she really hated that set of insurance paperwork.

Darcy held her breath and scrunched her eyes shut awaiting the impact of the truth bomb that JARVIS was about to drop about her absentee parenting.

"While your absence was lamented your skills were not required this afternoon. I did as you asked and kept them sequestered to their own labs, allowing them to leave only in the event of an emergency. Sir may have had a few choice words but it seems that the Dr's quite enjoyed his absence; thrived in it, you might say."

Darcy snorted and nodded. Ever since there were more people living in the tower and he no longer had to deal almost exclusively with Tony, they'd all discovered that JARVIS' patience had waned with Stark's misadventures, usually favouring ignoring his creator than engaging with him and his antics; which everybody but Tony found hi-larious. "Good work JARV. You'll do me out of a job one of these days." Darcy complimented with an approving nod.

"I think not, Miss Darcy; as you said they are in need of human interaction and as I am not, in fact, human, your employment is quite safe." JARVIS reassured and Darcy scoffed, her face contorted in offence.

"Oh please, you are more human than most of those annoyances that SHIELD churns out. If I had to entrust my nerds to anyone, it would be you, JARV." Darcy said as the elevator climbed higher to the floor that Jane and Thor's room was on.

"Knowing as I do of just how protective you are of your charges, I take that compliment as the high praise it was meant as. Thank you Miss Darcy." JARVIS said with a pleased tone that had Darcy feeling all warm inside; with all he did for the tower and its residents, JARVIS was freaking owed all the thanks, compliments and gratitude Darcy dished out.

"You are most welcome. Just think J-Man, soon it'll be just the two of us in our new pad, how badass is that going to be?" Darcy asked as the elevator doors opened and she walked towards Jane's room to gather the things she would need to have her shower at Bruce's.

"Most badass indeed, Miss Darcy." JARVIS intoned as he opened the door for her and Darcy saw Pepper walk into the living room looking a little harried, or as harried as Pepper Potts could get. Her hair was done beautifully and her makeup perfect and wearing just a robe and Darcy was more than a little envious that Pepper always looked so poised even when stressed.

"Oh thank God you're here." Pepper said as she rushed and grabbed Darcy by her biceps. "I don't know how..." Pepper began before stopping momentarily with pursed lips, a furrowed brow and a tilt of her head. "Wait, did you just make JARVIS curse?"

Darcy moved her head to the side and looked at Pepper from the corner of her narrowed eyes. "Can anyone make JARVIS do anything?" she asked rhetorically as she turned her face back to Pepper. "I think of it more as we make requests of him and he chooses whether or not to assist us in our endeavours. Isn't that right JARV?" Darcy called to the ceiling, her eyes never leaving Pepper's who just looked affectionately amused at the turn their conversation had taken into that of the autonomy of an AI.

"Quite right, Miss Darcy." He replied and Pepper rolled her eyes and laughed, shaking her head before looking back to Darcy with a soft stare.

"You two, I swear." Pepper said as she guided Darcy further into the room. "As much as I would love to have one of our patented Potts/Lewis sessions of putting the world to rights-"

"The world would be kickass if we were in charge of it." Darcy interrupted and Pepper smiled; carrying on like she hadn't spoken but still acknowledging her, a technique well practiced from working with Tony for so long.

"- but Jane is being... difficult." She finished with a decisive nod.

Before Darcy could respond with a 'how difficult can she be? You deal with Stark on a professional and personal level daily' a shout came from the vicinity of where Jane and Thor's bedroom was drew her attention. "Pepper!" a whined call emerged. "Have you seen my charm bracelet; the one Darce got me with all the stars and things. I wanna wear it tonight. And I can't find my glasses. Where are my glasses, Pep Pep?" The voice had become progressively more shrill but muffled by unseen movements.

Darcy's eyes widened and she looked back to Pepper who just raised a brow and nodded slowly. "By the time I noticed what she was doing, she'd already snuck a quarter bottle of tequila." Pepper took Darcy by the hand and led her to the bedroom. "I took it off of her, but then I found her with some miniatures that I think she still had in her luggage from her last trip on the Stark jet." She looked at Darcy in disbelief as she motioned to the not small number of empty baby-sized bottles of liquor in the middle of the bed. "If I hadn't worked with Tony for so long and seen what a drinking problem actually looked like, I would be making phone calls to the Betty Ford clinic right now and begging for a bed."

Darcy laughed and pushed the bedroom door closed a little behind them when they entered the room. "Pepper Potts begs for nothing and no-one; she negotiates like the badass CEO she is." Darcy complimented as she walked a little further into the room that was conspicuously empty of her scientist. "And you're right, Janie doesn't have a problem; I know the signs too." Darcy said, not missing the little frown Pepper had at her 'signs' remark but decided to ignore it in favour of finding Jane; her 'daddy was a drinker' issues were not a topic up for discussion right now. "She just parties as hard as she works; which is pretty damn hard and when you think about it she only does it every few weeks. Plus, she's feeling a little sad about tonight; but she's mostly a happy drunk. Well, she is until the 'weepies' at how much she loves everyone comes out. " She smiled at Pepper and said. "Don't worry though, for such a tiny lady she metabolises alcohol at a surprisingly fast rate; she usually just passes out before she sobers up, though. You've seen how she gets on any given girls night." Darcy said as the two of them surveyed the room for a sloshed scientist. "Thor not back with Sif yet?" having some Norse God back up would so be welcome.

Pepper hummed in the negative "Not yet, shouldn't be long though; there were some trade agreements that needed his approval and it held him up longer than he anticipated." She said eyes flicking around the room before she threw her hands up and had them land on her thighs with a 'slap', of frustration. "Ok, really, there aren't that many places for her to be in this room but I've managed to lose her at least three times in it." Pepper said as she left Darcy's side and moved to look in the adjoining bathroom, reconfigured to fit the needs of an Asgardian.

"Yeah, Janie does that too when she's had a few too many; she shows up sooner or later." Darcy smiled as she raised her voice to be heard from the other room, eyes scanning the nooks and crannies she'd found Jane squished in before. "She finds herself in the oddest places when she's been drinking; it makes for good stories though. Remind me to tell you of when Thor, Jane and I went to the zoo and she very nearly fit her way inside the Gentoo penguin exhibit. The keepers were not a happy bunch. Funnily enough having a hammered scientist trying to feed your wildlife is not something they want happening on a busy Saturday afternoon." She heard Pepper's laughter echoing off of the tiled walls in the bathroom.

"I'll swap you for the time Tony almost managed to buy a dolphin when I was away on a business trip in New Zealand. He built a tank for it to live in and everything; it's an underwater training room for the team now." Pepper called back. "Luckily JARVIS contacted me and I managed to have the transaction stopped before the poor creature was in transit."

Darcy opened her mouth to reply but she stopped and shut it again when she heard a muffled. "I want a dolphin," From the other side of the room. She made her way over to the noise; dropping to her knees by the side of the ridiculously huge bed and flipped up the side of covers and found herself face to face with a bleary eyed astrophysicist. "I think it'd be cool." Jane slurred.

Darcy tilted her head, biting her lower lip with a smile and took in the precious picture an inebriated Jane made; all wide eyes and flushed cheeks and called out a "Found her." to Pepper in the bathroom. Darcy didn't even bother to ask Jane why she was under her bed. Darcy very much doubted she would remember her, no doubt, stellar drunk person reasoning. "As cool as it may seem it would be cruel; dolphins are social things and it would end up lonely and sad. Not so cool then, Janie." Darcy said as she made a hand motion at Jane to encourage her from out under the bed.

"Not if he got a family of them. They'd keep each other company and I would visit." Jane reasoned as she shuffled out and Darcy took her hands to help her to her feet and keeping her steady for when her alcohol soaked blood rushed to her head and she got dizzy. Darcy gave Pepper an affectionate eye roll as she left the bathroom at what her life was sometimes; if anyone could understand it would be her.

"And what about when you went on a stars and science bender? Who would keep them company then?" Darcy asked as she sat her friend back onto the bed and smoothed her still slightly damp hair from her face and tucked it behind her ears, wiping the dust bunnies that the cleaning robots missed, from her robe.

"You would." Jane said like it was the most obvious thing in the world and that the shaking of her head only reinforced her point that much more. "You're good at it. You're good at making people feel not lonely." Jane said on a sigh as she leaned her head forward to rest against Darcy's shoulder, nuzzling her nose into the fabric of her sweater.

Darcy felt her heart constrict a little and her throat tighten and she bought a hand up to the back of Jane's head, untangling some of her wet waves; her mind flashing to the X –Men's job offer before burying it again. The possibility of leaving Jane was a physical ache that wasn't helpful for her current objective of having fun. "Then who would keep you company?" Darcy asked after a long moment to ensure her voice didn't come out choked. She didn't think she was overly successful if the sympathetic look she got from Pepper was anything to go by.

Jane stilled her movements of burying her face into Darcy's shoulder and tilted her head back to look at her with a scowled pout. "Good point. No dolphins. I already have to share you with Bruce and Tony; those dolphins can suck it." Jane said vehemently, missing Pepper's snort of amusement as she left the room on silent feet; too lost in her indignation to notice.

"Yes, Janie, the hypothetical dolphins can suck it." Darcy said as she moved her back a little more so she was further into the centre of the bed, the miniature bottles clinking with the bouncing, and left her hands hovering at Jane's arms to make sure she didn't topple over from too much jostling. Maybe the job conversation wasn't going to be as simple as Darcy had believed it to be up until that point. "I'm going to go get you some water." Darcy said and at Jane's jerky nod, Darcy left the room with one last look at her friend to make sure she didn't face plant to the floor in a drunken heap and went to retrieve a bottle of water from the fridge; finding Pepper sitting at the counter sorting through nail polish bottles.

"She's ok?" Pepper asked with a nod to the bedroom they'd both just left.

"She will be." Darcy nodded. "Get some water into her and it'll give her a second wind." Darcy said as she closed the fridge door, bottle in hand. "Like I said: great metabolism; if she didn't she'd be the size of a freaking house with all the pop tarts she eats." Darcy joked as she rolled the bottle in her hands and walked to lean against the counter the opposite side of Pepper; trying to figure out a way to ask her question. "Hey, Pep could we maybe have dinner tomorrow night, at my new place?"

Pepper regarded Darcy for a moment, taking in the nervousness in which her question was asked, before nodding. "Of course; I'd love to. Is everything ok?" she asked, her concern showing.

"Yeah, I just...something came up today at lunch; something that has the possibility to be really good or really bad and I think that it really needs your input; A fresh perspective of someone who might really understand and help me to understand in the process." Darcy said, not really wanting to get into any more detail on the job. That could wait until they were really alone. Except for Tasha, but she'd probably know a little about it from Phil when she was told about the stalker, because Phil didn't know about Clint being aware of the situation...and now was not the time for those thoughts.

Pepper nodded her head. "I take it this has something to do with your lunch with Mr Logan this afternoon?" Pepper asked and smiled at Darcy's quirked brow at how she knew about her lunch companion. "Tony called me in quite the tizz; you know how he gets when any male outside his circle of trust shows even the slightest sign of interest in you. He asked if the lawyers could get him off for 'singeing Wolverine's mutton-chops off with his new repulors' if he got 'fresh with Lewis' on their 'not a date how dare you suggest that Pepper'." Darcy rolled her eyes at Tony's over protectiveness and Pepper laughed. "So it is to do with that?" Pepper asked and Darcy nodded. "I'll be there; I'll have Rhodey come over and babysit Tony, seeing as he can't get away from DC tonight for the party. Seven good for you?" she asked and Darcy nodded again feeling relieved that she would have a sounding board as smart as Pepper to help her make a more informed decision before bringing it to the group at large; it was a decision she needed to make for herself- not the people she cared for- even if they were a factor. "I'll bring the wine; this sounds like a conversation that needs a lot of wine."

Darcy laughed with a grateful smile. "Thank you. I just need a little...well Pepper Potts wisdom, I suppose." Darcy said and Pepper looked down and blushed a little. Not wanting to be mean about how cute that was, Pepper deserved a cute moment, she changed the subject. "You're very nearly ready." Darcy said motioning her head and face.

"I am." Pepper smiled as she looked up from the bottles again having picked a soft pink colour. "I may have taken the last few hours off of work so I could be your back up when dealing with Jane. Tony called again after his rant about your lunch plans and said you were being held at SHIELD; I thought that may take a while and as it's your party, you should be able to get ready in some semblance of peace. Not that it worked out very well." Pepper said with an apologetic twist of her lips for not catching Jane out sooner.

"You look beautiful but you didn't have to do that for me." Darcy said as she shook her head. She knew how busy Pepper was and was a little shocked that she didn't have plans for Saturday already; some boring investor meeting or the like.

"Yes I did. It's your last night and I want you to enjoy yourself and I want to enjoy it with you. You work so hard and this is our way of showing you that we appreciate you and we'll miss you; even if it is being done in Tony's heavy handed way." Pepper said with a fond smile for both Darcy and her fiancé.

"Thank you." Darcy said again quietly. When they'd first become friends she was a lot intimidated by Pepper, but after a few chats over morning coffee they made a fast friendship over the trials and tribulations of aiding Tony in his daily life. "Would you mind if I gave this water to Jane and then headed out to Bruce's to shower? I'd like to check in on him after being gone for so long." And when she said 'check on him' she meant telling him that Callie was free this weekend and there was a showing of 'Despicable me' at a matinee downtown tomorrow; she was going to be relentless.

"Of course; I can handle Jane until Maria gets here and then we can tag team." Pepper said as she started to lead Darcy back to the bedroom, arms looped together.

"And I take it from the fact you're here that Tony is at least on his way to being partly presentable." Darcy asked knowing that Pepper knew better than to leave Tony unsupervised before an event of any kind, which required him to be a normal-ish person; And to ensure that he didn't arrive in his Iron Man suit. That had stopped being cute after the incident at the fundraiser for the children's hospital. Nobody talked about that night. Ever. It had been traumatising.

"Tony will be as presentable as he can be," Pepper said with a little smirk and glint of mischief in her eyes that had Darcy smiling. "I sent Steve up to keep him in line. When I left for here, Steve had threatened to sit on him if he didn't stop trying to sneak back down to the labs or accusing him of sabotaging his breakfast."

Darcy laughed and bit her lip. "Of course he did. Steve is such a troll, sometimes." For all he could gripe about his abilities when he broke something by accident, Steve had no problem employing them to get one over on people who were being annoying; usually Tony.

"Yes, yes, he is." Pepper agreed happily. "But that's why we love him and as an added defence I asked JARVIS to tell them to start getting ready at seven thirty."

"That's because you're Pepper Potts and Pepper Potts always knows what to do." Darcy said as she walked ahead of her to where Jane was trying to brush her hair but not successfully. "Here we go boss lady. Drink this and then let Maria and Pep start on your hair and makeup, Ok?" Darcy said as she took the brush and replaced it with the opened water.

Jane looked up in confusion but took a long drink before asking. "Why? Why can't you do it? Where are you going?" Drunk!Jane was a demanding thing but Darcy could never not indulge her; Jane needed to let loose sometimes and Darcy was nothing if not an enabler. If she sometimes let Tony express himself through odd little inventions, that more times than not resulted in lost eyebrows, she could let Jane do so with copious amounts of alcohol.

"I'm going to go to check on Bruce and have a shower at his place." Darcy said as she took the bottle back and tugged Jane towards her vanity, sitting her down at the chair and placing the drink in front of her; putting her hands on Jane's slender shoulders when she was done fidgeting to get comfortable.

"I have a shower." Jane pointed out as she frowned at Darcy through the reflection of the mirror.

"Yes you do, but you don't have a Bruce and I want to see him. Two bird's one stone and all that." Darcy said with a wave of her hand, trying to placate the drunk-y, but knowing she failed when Jane's frown deepened and she threw her head back against Darcy's stomach with a long, drawn out and overly dramatic groan.

"Ugh, sharing." Jane bemoaned with an annoyed pout. "It's supposed to be a girl time to get ready for tonight, Darcy. Bruce is not a girl; he may be able to transform into a rage creature at times but that doesn't mean he can turn into one of us as well." Jane argued as she sloppily spun her hands around to encompass the females of the room as she looked at Darcy upside down.

"Yeah, Bruce may not be a girl, but I've seen you when we're out of pop tarts and a machine's broken, Janie; it could be argued that you're a rage creature at times, too. He gets to encroach on your territory if you encroach on his first." Darcy joked smiling at Pepper through the mirror where she sat on the bed, sorting hair grips, shaking her head with a delicate snort at the absurdity of the conversation, but well used to it by now. She'd listened to the 'who would win in a fight' discussions; (Insert Avenger V Insert ridiculous opponent- 'do the zombie astronaut have weapons? They can't bite with a helmet on.' And 'Will the fight take place in space? If not that zombie-naut is screwed')

"Rude." Jane scoffed as she straightened her head and took another long sip of water. "Fine, go be with Bruce. I haven't seen you for hours either and it's your last day that you spent making kiss-y faces at Wolverine, but whatever." She griped turning her head away from looking at Darcy's reflection. Darcy laughed ignoring her dig at Logan and kissed the top of her hair before walking away towards the door; Jane's issues with Darcy's departure would be gone before her front door closed and forgotten as soon as she'd finished all of her water and hopefully starting on a second. Darcy didn't get that far, however, when Jane grabbed her hand and looked up at her with sad, doe-eyes that she supposed could explain some of how whipped Thor was, that shit was heart tuggingly convincing. "You'll be coming back though, right? Before the party?"

"Yes." Darcy assured her friend who looked markedly relieved and squeezed her hand. "I'm just going to shower and pick out what he's going to wear. I love the man but if he tries to show up in jeans and a science stained shirt and not the three piece gun metal suit and wingtips we bought, when I'm strapping myself into my dress; I'm going to change his relaxing whale music to death metal again."

Jane snorted, swaying a little in her seat. "Like the time you changed it to the 'Vengaboys' when he refused to take you along on his trip to Ibiza and you had JARVIS override his change requests until he promised to take you next time."

Darcy frowned. That was still a sore spot for her, no matter how boring Bruce said she would have found his conferences; she had wanted to go get tan on sandy beaches with exotic drinks while Banner talked science, Damnit. And it made her even angrier now that she and Clint had broken up after he had said he'd take her somewhere that had sun, sea, sand and sex.

"The man shouldn't mess with me when the Big Guy loves me so much. I have no fear of being Hulk smashed and will take my revenge in creative and painful ways if he pisses me off." Darcy said as she let go of Jane's hand, placing it in her lap and walking backwards towards the living room. "Behave for Pep, I mean it Jane; JARVIS will tell me if you don't." She warned with a raised finger as she turned on her heel and grabbed up her toiletry bag from by the door; a thought occurring to her when she walked by the sofa. Darcy walked around it and sighed when she found what she thought she would. Darcy picked up the items and went back towards the bedroom where Pepper was separating Jane's hair, brushing it out into sections and gripping them into place, hairdryer under one arm. Darcy walked to the vanity and said. "Glasses and bracelet," Placing them in front of Jane. "Stop leaving things you like on the floor. You know you get all pouty when Thor steps on them." Darcy admonished, remembering the fight of a few weeks ago when Thor had stepped on a DVD of 'Space Jam'. Although Darcy had a sneaking suspicion that he'd done it intentionally; Jane could be a little obsessive and even Darcy was getting sick of the Michael Jordan epic after the third viewing. According to JARVIS, Thor had born witness to it at least double that and even more when Jane had JARVIS cue it up on the internal systems instead of using her DVD shards.

Jane grinned up at her. "You found them!" her grin faltered and then she pouted. "And Thor should look where he's going; I have to when he leaves his hammer all over the place." Jane said, flapping her hands as she started grumbling about alien feet and stubbing her toe and Darcy grinned at Pepper.

"Have fun with that." Darcy said as she walked back out the bedroom. "She has at least an hour's worth of material when it comes to how much Thor doesn't look where he's going."

"Thank you, Darcy." Pepper said darkly as she turned back to Jane and started on her hair again. Darcy heard Jane exclaim 'five pairs of glasses!' and Pepper's answering sigh as she left the suite and started heading towards Bruce's.

Darcy got halfway down the corridor when she saw Maria leaving the guest room, bags in hand, hair up in a towel, feet in the tank slippers that Darcy had knitted her for Christmas and a black robe tied at her waist.

"Hey," Maria greeted with a smile. "Jane has a hair dryer, right? Mine just fried." Maria said as she narrowed her eyes dangerously at the bag she was holding, as if the dryer inside had personally offended her; which in Maria's case it probably had. She didn't like when things didn't do their jobs, even inanimate objects.

"I think Pepper's using Jane's on Jane right now, but you could always use Thor's, he wouldn't mind." Darcy offered and Maria un-narrowed her eyes and stared at Darcy for a long second, face blank as she seemed to process what Darcy had just said.

"Thor has his own hair dryer?" She asked and Darcy nodded.

"Of course he does. You think his hair just looks like that?" Darcy asked her brow quirked in confusion. Just because he was a God didn't mean that Thor could ignore personal grooming. He particularly liked it when Darcy played barber. She did it for all the boys in the tower; well everyone except Tony. He was such an elitist when it came to hair care; only $500 trims for him. Darcy hadn't managed to knock all the douchieness out of him yet; Tony was very much a work in progress.

Maria let out a huffed laugh and shook her head. "I guess that just adds another to the column of 'Super heroes are people too' doesn't it. That list has grown an awful lot since we became friends." It wasn't an accusation; more of an observation at her ever changing views on supers.

Darcy shrugged and nodded her head side to side. "Meh, as much people as we are, Maria; just with you know, things added on." Darcy knew how long it had taken for Hill to take to the Avengers and the other super groups. It was why she was a little surprised that she had been put in charge of the new initiative, not that Maria wasn't capable of handling the responsibility but just that she still had her reservations about how involved those groups should be. Darcy was sure that would be discussed either at the party tonight or the meeting on Monday.

Maria nodded a little, obviously thinking about something she didn't want to say aloud yet, when her eyes went back to Darcy's suddenly. "Well; you should get going and I should go use a Norse God's hair care products." She said dryly as she stepped to the side so Darcy could pass her.

"Just a warning, Jane's drunk." Darcy said as she stopped at her shoulder.

"When isn't she when we get together?" Maria said not surprised at all as Darcy walked by her. "I'll try to make sure she sticks to water until we get to the party." Maria promised as she started down the corridor towards Jane's suite.

"Thank you." Darcy said with a purposefully sloppy salute that had Maria rolling her eyes. Darcy's complete disregard for protocol and procedure both amused and infuriated Maria but as Darcy was a civilian she let it slide. Most of the time. When Darcy had called a three star General 'honey-bunny' in a waiting room of SHIELD HQ, Maria almost had a conniption. (Until Darcy had charmed the man with her knowledge of bird watching and managed to get him in a more agreeable mood for his meeting with Fury and agree on some kind of personnel deal-y that had been on the verge of collapse before Darcy's unintentional intervention. )

"I wouldn't thank me yet, Darce. I said 'try'; Jane can be as stealthy as Barton in the ventilation systems when she wants to sneak a drink."

Darcy laughed at that and it was only a little forced. For all of her pushing it down Darcy's nerves were starting to flare with how close it was coming to Clint coming home. Checking her watch to redirect Maria's attention and her own from her reaction of Barton being mentioned, her eyes widened and she swore. "I really have to go shower, it's already twenty to seven and I just know that Bruce is going to fight me on the suit." Darcy said as she dashed towards the elevator and called a goodbye over her shoulder.

"Yes, see you after you're done pestering a man who turns into a giant green creature when he gets annoyed." Maria said blandly but not unkindly. The Hulk could be dangerous; just not to them and Maria knew it. As soon as the Other Guy had started taking orders Hill had become supportive and quite protective of him as an ally and asset when she wasn't relying on blind luck for not being squished like a bug; but it was only when he had purposefully saved Darcy that she stopped being afraid of him, or as afraid as Maria Hill could be of anything.

Darcy entered the elevator and saw Maria walking away as she called back. "I'm always pestering Bruce, so every time you see me is after I've been annoying him and yet, no Darcy pancakes to speak of."

Maria just shook her head and entered Jane's room with a flap of her hand and a 'go get ready, Darce.'

Darcy looked up to the ceiling when the doors closed and asked JARVIS. "JARV, could you please tell me when Sif arrives?"

"I already had it planned in my directives, Miss Darcy."

"Of course you did, JARV, my good dude. We are totally symbiotic at this point." Darcy smiled as the doors opened to floor below Thor's where Bruce's rooms were and waited for what she knew was coming.

"It is simply part of my programming, Miss Darcy. I collate and analyse data from previous queries and act accordingly in the face of upcoming events." There it was.

"Oh pffft," Darcy said as she walked through Bruce's door that JARVIS had opened for her, taking her bag and shoes off and putting them by the door, finding Bruce sitting and reading a book on his couch, hair dripping a little onto his grey T-shirt, his sweat pant covered legs propped up on his coffee table. "It's part of my programming too, JARVIS. Just because I have a gross fleshy brain and you have micro chips and mother boards, doesn't mean we don't have a symbiotic relationship going on here. Quit diminishing our connection." Darcy pouted as she looked up to the ceiling, a hand on her hip; her stubborn out for all to see. They were lucky she hadn't stomped her feet. She wasn't above it when pushed.

Bruce chuckled and Darcy glared at him. "You know he's right, Darce." He said as he marked his page with braided green and purple wool that Darcy had given him as a book mark when she finally had enough of him dog earring pages like a goddamn Neanderthal. He stood from the couch and walked over to her. "He isn't living, so you aren't symbiotic." Ugh, Bruce and his science.

"Ugh, you and your science," Darcy groused. "Fine," Darcy bit out as she looked to the ceiling and away from Bruce. "JARVIS, we aren't symbiotic; we're on the same wavelength. Better?"

"Much more accurate, Miss Darcy and I agree with you." And Darcy smiled.

Looking back down at Bruce she dropped her smile and raised an eyebrow. "Are you happy now, Dr No Fun?"

"Ecstatic." Bruce drawled with an amused smile at her obvious irritation. He knew how much Darcy hated when he used science when taking someone else's side in a disagreement. Mostly because it meant that she was actually wrong and then had to learn some science as punishment.

Darcy snorted and smiled back, her irritation disappearing at his stupidly sweet face. Shaking her head she walked up to him and collapsed against his chest, having Bruce support her entire weight. "You miss me?" Darcy asked into his shirt as Bruce held her tightly around the shoulders and tucked his head against her hair.

"I always miss you when you're gone." He said and she felt all giddy for a moment as she noticed something different about him from when she'd left that morning.

"You shaved." Darcy said as she pulled back and took the hand not holding her toiletry bag from behind his back and stroked his face with it. His stubble not catching her hair, like always, tipping her off that something had changed. Bruce nodded and she smiled big and wide, going up onto her tiptoes and nuzzling his face with her nose and lips, breathing him in. "I like you all clean shaven." She admitted, her lips moving against the smooth skin of his cheek and he chuckled, the rumble of it going through her chest.

"I know you do, that's why I did it." He said and chuckled more when she nuzzled a little more before hugging him again, sighing in contented bliss. "How was your lunch?" He asked as he pulled back a bit to see her face.

"Good; Logan was a perfect gentleman, no need to worry about my honour being in question." Darcy said as she started to stroke his face again as he nodded. Her fingertips traced the lines around his mouth; which she chose to believe were deepening thanks to laughter more than frowns these days. She wondered if he would frown or smile at what she told him next. "We went to 'Garrity's'."

The answer was: neither. He just raised an eyebrow and said. "Oh?" But she didn't miss the way he tensed his hold on her a little.

"Yeah, Logan chose it. He had a smaller Thor special and I had the Pine nut pasta I like and before you say anything," Darcy said holding up a hand. "I ate all of it and only had a little to drink." Darcy barrelled forward as Bruce opened his mouth closing it again with a pleased smile and approving nod. "Operation: Feed Darcy is well underway."

"Good; I'm just worried, Darce." He said as his hands went to her shoulders and held her in place to look her in the eye so she could feel the full brunt of his concerned eyes. He was lucky he was so cute or she would have flicked his nose for worrying too much.

"I know and it is appreciated. Things are looking up though; and I should be back to normal pretty soon." Darcy said ignoring his frown because it wasn't really a lie. Things were looking better she just didn't mention that they been looking worse earlier or why. "Speaking of things looking up; Callie was there today and I found out something very interesting." Darcy teased as she took a hand from her shoulder and led him towards the bedroom that linked to his bathroom like all the other suites of the tower.

"Oh?" Bruce said again and Darcy smiled at how inarticulate he could get when confronted with things that made him uncomfortable.

"Yep; apparently she has the weekend off. An entire two days that could use some filling up. Preferably with a cute, slightly older but super sweet and attractive Doctor man."

Bruce stopped being tugged along and Darcy turned to look up at him her face the picture of innocence and not someone who was going to argue and argue and argue until he relented and called the nice woman and scheduled a date.

"Darcy." Bruce said like that's all that was needed. It wasn't.

"Bruce." Was all she returned as an encouragement for him to use his words like a big boy.

He sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. "It's not...a good idea." He finished lamely and the grimace he wore was the perfect response to her unimpressed glare.

"It is the best idea." Darcy insisted squeezing the hand she still held. "You like her and she likes you. You already have her number; call it and go and have some fun. 'Despicable me' is playing down town and I know you both like it. She has your calls come up with the minion sound effect and you smiled like a dork about it for an entire hour after you found out."

Bruce sighed and hung his head back as he let go of her hand and started to pace. "I'm too dangerous for her, Darcy. I'm way too old. My life as an Avenger isn't really conducive with dating." Bruce stopped pacing and turned to look at her, his jaw ticking and said. "I'm too damaged to do this again." And Darcy bit back on a growl as she threw her bag to his bed. Not to the floor (or his face) no matter how much more dramatic and satisfying that would have been; she had breakable bottles in there.

"Bruce, stop it; you are not too dangerous. Quit using the Other Guy as an excuse. You haven't spontaneously Hulked out in months and even when you have it's been handled; he can listen to people now." Darcy said in a voice dripping with clear annoyance and anger. He was reverting to the Bruce of pre-Darcy and it was pissing her off; especially as he hadn't said the one thing she knew he wanted, the thing that was really bothering him. But they would get to that once she'd bulldozed all of his bullshit excuses.

"Doesn't mean it will happen like that every time, Darcy;" He said with barely contained frustration. "That side of me is dangerous and people have been killed because of it; not everyone is like you, they actually have some sense of self preservation and run a mile at the sight of it, not sit and chat to it like an old friend at afternoon tea." His hands balled into fists, his frame tensed but she didn't care. She trusted him and his greener side not to hurt her and the stupid thing was that he did to. Not only was he being an idiot but he was wasting her time in doing so. But if he needed to hear her refute him she'd do it.

"Oh please, Bruce, the fact I could sit and chat says everything. And stop saying 'it'; the Hulk is a part of you and that is why you can control yourself the way you do. The moment you try and divorce yourself from him is the moment that you lose control and we both know it." Darcy all but shouted, scowling at his scoff. "No, you've seen how delicate and careful the Other Guy is with me. That time when we were attacked by those AIM bastards and I got a bullet to the leg for my evacuation heroics; Hulk came and got me, carried me in the crook of his arm and kept pressure on the wound. He waited with me, Bruce, until he knew that I was ok and then went back to the fight; just like you would have. And that is just one example of dozens. So yes, he is dangerous and yes, he has killed people, but that's not all he is. That's not all he does. He cares about people and there is no reason to think he won't care about Callie. You even said that he recedes a little when you're around her; who's to say it won't recede further the more exposure you have to her. We've had enough conversations about your angrier side for me to know that that excuse is just that: an excuse. You have enough control for a film and some food, Bruce. I'm not telling you to marry the girl and have minty green babies with her; Just a goddamn date." Bruce shook his head but didn't say anymore and Darcy knew that he knew that she was fucking right; so she went on to his next 'reason' for not living a happy and full life. "And you're not 'Way too old for her', you idiot. She's only a few years older than I am."

Bruce spun to her then eyes wide and spread arms out from his sides. "Yeah, exactly Darcy, you are young." He bit out and Darcy narrowed her eyes at his tone. "You are quite literally nearly half of my age and how pathetic does that make me, that my best friend is a woman young enough to be my daughter?" Bruce seethed and Darcy had to hide a flinch. Not at his anger, she wasn't scared of him, never has been, but of how it was 'pathetic' of him to be her friend. She knew he said it to derail her from her very valid points and she wasn't about to let him win this one. It was too important and she was made of tougher stuff than what Bruce could throw at her.

"You think it's pathetic to be my friend?" she asked in a flat tone and Bruce's lips went white with the pressure he had them pressed together with. "Screw you." She spat. "For a genius you are the biggest dumbass I have ever met and I'm friends with Jane Foster who routinely forgets what floor she lives on. How dare you reduce our relationship to something less than what it is because I wasn't born when you graduated high school? That is hurtful and just plain wrong and you know it." And it seemed he did know if the way his eyes closed for a moment and his shoulders slumped were any indication. "For fuck sake, Bruce, Thor is over a thousand years old but that doesn't make him pathetic for loving me and it doesn't stop him from being in love with Jane. Yes, Callie is younger than you but that doesn't mean anything. She is smart and funny and kind and she cares about you. She's a goddamn adult and she knows her feelings; that shouldn't be dismissed because of her age. Age doesn't matter, connection does. It's insulting for you to say otherwise."

Bruce stared at Darcy, his eyes and the set of his mouth remorseful and he opened his mouth to speak. "Darcy-" He started but she cut him off with a wave of her hand; too angry to hear an apology right then, she was going to use her anger to hammer home her point.

"No. You will shut up and you will listen to me after that little comment." Darcy said and he closed his mouth. "As for the Avenger thing, she already knows, Bruce. But that doesn't stop her from looking forward to seeing you every Thursday when the world stops trying to destroy itself and lets you. If anything dating will have you seeing more of each other because you will make time for her beyond Thursday night drink orders. That's what you do in relationships, you adjust and you compromise for those you want to spend time with. Everything important is already out on the table and all the other stuff is what you find out along the way. Not once has she given any indication that your job or the fact that you transform into the Hulk is an issue for her, so don't you force your neurosis onto her." He was about to speak again but she held up a hand and said. "Still talking." And he stopped again. "Everyone is damaged Bruce. It's about how you deal with it. It's about how and what you fill those cracks in with. I fill mine with who I care about; you and everyone else who is coming to this party tonight. Fuck off if you think your damage is too extreme for you to love or be loved in return. It isn't." She walked up to him and placed her hands on his face, bringing his eyes down to look at her, refusing to let go when he tensed and tried to pull away. "I love you, Bruce." She said fiercely and he let out a shaky exhale that brushed her face. "And that does not make you pathetic. It means that you are a person deserving of the happiness you give others; and you do make people happy. You make me happy."

Bruce lent his forehead against hers and closed his eyes in acquiescence. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that stuff about it being pathetic... It's not even how I feel; I know how lucky I am to have you in my life I just..."

"Lashed out because you're scared." Darcy finished for him and moved her hands to the back of his neck and kneaded the tight muscles there, fingers tickling on the still wet hair curling slightly, her anger gone now because, yeah, she got that. "I'm not going to lie and say it didn't hurt; it did but I know it was meant to. Now I need you to keep being honest and tell me what we both already know is really holding you back from trying with Callie." Darcy said as she pulled back and looked up into his face, his eyes still closed. "Bruce." She said in whispered encouragement nothing but care in her voice. He needed to say it and he needed her to hear it. This had been a year in the making and was important to both of them.

He was silent for a while longer before he slowly said. "I'm scared that I won't be able to love her like I loved Betty." Bruce revealed what she knew he would as he opened his eyes that were bright with unshed tears. "And Callie deserves more than that."

Darcy nodded at what she knew had been bothering him and took his hands, leading him to his bed and sitting back against the headboard waiting for him to do the same. As soon as he was situated Darcy snuggled to his side taking his right hand in both of hers, linking their fingers and taking it into her lap, her head against his shoulder. It was very reminiscent of the weekend that she had the flu a few months previously and Clint had been away on mission; Bruce stayed with her the entire two days and nights just so she didn't have to suffer alone. Watching movies and doing work while she slept herself well again.

"Ok, truth time Dr Banner." She said quietly her thumb stroking his hands. "It is possible to love more than one person in your life. It doesn't mean that you loved that person any less when you love someone else. You don't; you just love them differently even if it is for the same reasons." She tilted her head up and rested her chin against his shoulder to look at his profile through her eyelashes. "You are not the same person you were when you loved Betty but you're holding onto the ideal it represents because she loved you before you were changed. You somehow think that it makes your love with her purer because it isn't tainted by the Other Guy and that's wrong. You're wrong. You don't have to be a part of somebody's past to love the whole person. I'm not saying that what you have with Callie will grow into love; all I am saying is that you shouldn't shackle yourself to what you used to have in fear of not having it again. You need something to pull you out of your past and into the person you are now; and maybe Callie can do that for you."

"You do that for me." Bruce said quietly and Darcy smiled.

"And I always will." She promised. "The only problem is that we don't want to climb each other like trees." Darcy joked and Bruce snorted, nodding his agreement. "Both of our lives would be easier if we did. Platonic relationships are amazing and can be fulfilling all on their own but not when you want more from someone and are denying yourself. That just makes you unhappy."

Bruce looked down at her with a pinched brow and he shook his head. "Is it fair though; to put that much pressure on one person?"

"Life isn't fair Bruce." Darcy said seriously. "With everyone you live with and what's happened to you, you know that. At least this pressure has the chance to be fun while you're figuring it out and if it doesn't work you use what you learnt to try again. Or in science terms 'you retest your hypothesis within new search parameters.'"

Bruce smiled and nodded, the hand not being held by her coming up and threading in her hair as he lent forward and kissed her nose and Darcy closed her eyes. "You're right." He said quietly as he rested his lips between her eyes for a moment. "Are you sure you're only twenty – two? That was some next level advice for one so young." Bruce joked as he pulled back to look at her and Darcy smiled.

"Lotta life lived in those years, Doc." Darcy replied on a sigh. "So, are you going to ask her out or are we going to have this argument again? It is not beneath me to rope Tony into this; you know how invested he is in your love life. Worryingly so." she warned as she blinked her eyes open to look at him. She thought she had gotten through to him but maybe he needed a little more of a push.

Bruce looked at her for a long moment, before nodding. "Like you said: it's a date not a marriage proposal; besides who could give up a chance to watch 'Despicable me'?"

"No one sane." Darcy replied as an unsettling thought occurred to her. "You are doing this for you, right? Not because I bullied you into it? I mean I know that I can be pushy but I just want to make sure you're doing this for the right reasons." Darcy would never forgive herself is she pushed him into something he didn't really want to do and something bad happened.

He gave her a soft smile and said. "I'm doing this for me; I just needed the person who knows me best to give me a swift kick up the ass and refuse to take my bullshit." He said and let out a choked laugh at the socks she was wearing when he looked at the feet that had done the metaphorical kicking.

"What? They are, like, ridiculously comfortable." Darcy defended the Hulk fluffy socks she was wearing; her thinking that the fluffiness represented Bruce and the little cartoon Hulks the Hulk; Perfect blend in her opinion. And she was totally going to explode with the happy feels when she had time to think on the 'person who knows me best' bit. He was going to get so many cookies at their next chat and educational TV night.

Bruce shook his head and looked at the clock on his bedside table with a wince. "Sorry Darce; looks like you sorting my life out may have eaten into your beautification time." He said with a nod at the LED display.

"Oh shit a brick." Darcy groaned when she turned her head to see the time. "Seven; really?" Darcy turned back to Bruce and went all no nonsense on his ass; she didn't have the time for anything sweet. "Ok, just to stream line this; I love you, you're making the right choice and we will have a night of talking about how much I am totally your person but for right now; you are wearing the gun metal three piece suit. If you want to make an issue of it I will gladly stay and argue with you about it but you may want to give up now. It's my party and I will be as late to it as I want. Plus, when have you actually ever won a fight with me?" Darcy asked, rhetorically because the answer was never and they both knew it. She got off of the bed and picked up her bag before he could respond; the less time Bruce had to think up a futile argument, the better chance she had of getting away quicker. "Hey JARV, could you please set the shower to my preferred temperature and tell the girls that I'm going to be later than I thought. If they moan, blame Bruce." Bruce laughed as he followed her off of the bed and went to his closet; taking out the suit that would make him look the sexy scientist he was. "Good choice." She called over to him; smiling when she received the middle finger in response.

"It's done Miss Darcy. Apparently this is good news as Dr Foster and Assistant Director Hill have been having a discussion about the benefits of 'pre drinking' and little progress has been made in preparation of tonight's party."

Darcy sighed and rolled her shoulders. Jane was fast becoming the top of her shit list and that was saying something when she had a douchey ex boyfriend about to crop back up and a fucking stalker on the loose. "Could you get a message to Jane, please? Tell her if she doesn't stop being a problem drinker I will have Dum-E follow her around the party with a fire extinguisher and have him douse her every time she is in gulping distance of an alcoholic beverage." And she'd do it too; it's how she got Tony to stop drinking before two in the afternoon down in the labs. Since she had, lab fires had decreased by forty-five percent.

Darcy waited for the reply, looking up at the ceiling, ignoring Bruce's 'ruthless' mutter. She knew she could be a tyrant but it was sometimes necessary to keep them all from dying thanks to their single mindedness and thorough disregard for their own safety in the pursuit of scientific progress or when being a jerk to woman who could kill them with a hair pin when they wouldn't let up on haggling for more drink. "It is done Miss Darcy. Dr Foster has relented and is now having her makeup done. You have the thanks of both Miss Potts and Assistant Director Hill."

"Good-o." Darcy said as she went to make her way to the running shower, but was stopped when Bruce called out to her. "Yeah?" she answered with a smile over her shoulder, turning slowly when he walked up to her.

"I'm really sorry about what I said earlier." And Darcy nodded with an understanding smile.

"I know and I accept. You're my best friend, I'll always forgive you. It's all good." She said putting a hand to his cheek, her thumb stroking the corner of his mouth. "I'm gonna get showered. I'll leave the door open like always so you can come and chat when you've sorted your suit." She said and smiled when he turned his face and kissed her palm. Darcy patted his cheek and gave him a wink before stepping into the bathroom.

She removed her clothes and left them on the chair in the corner of the room and stepped underneath the fall of water, sighing as the warm spray started to wash away the events of the day. She rolled her head back and turned on the spot so that she was wet all over and began scrubbing down with her moisturising strawberry body wash. She heard the door open and Bruce stepping in. Darcy smiled, she liked their intimate little habits like talking to the other when they were showering or when they shared hard candies because Darcy got bored of licking it and Bruce hated it when she bit the hard candy shell but still gave her the chewy middles

"Hey, so what was all that stuff you had to do with Logan and Coulson at SHIELD?" he called out to her.

And Darcy stilled as she was shampooing her hair; she didn't particularly like the habit now she couldn't run from that line of questioning without giving him an eyeful. She was glad of the shower a little because her voice could be covered by the water and face not seen through the frosted glass of the shower door and that meant her lying voice could be put down to distortion. "Oh, that, just some paper stuff." Darcy said deciding it wasn't quite a lie; the stalker photos were made of paper.

"And that took all afternoon?" he asked as she started to wash the foam out of her hair. Bruce was the suspicious sort and didn't mind needling for answers when he felt something was off. It's what made him a really good scientist but also a nosey friend.

"You know how Coulson is; he likes to have everything in place before signing off on anything." And again not a lie; she did have to wait for Coulson to sign off on her leaving when he thought it safe enough. She finger combed some conditioner into the tips of her hair and let it sit for a minute; she could hear Bruce folding her clothes and putting them near her bag. Darcy was starting to worry herself at how quick these bending of truths could roll off her tongue. She really didn't want to be the person who could so easily manipulate the world to fit her needs.

"Were there any Fantastic Four?" Bruce asked and she visibly winced. He knew something was up and was running through the questions to deduce what it was. Not good.

"No; it was just Logan, Coulson and I. It wasn't formal or anything just needed to go over some things. Speaking of which; I think that on Sunday we should all have dinner and talk about the meeting on Monday. It'll just be a preliminary but I would prefer to have a basis of what our agenda will be. I'll talk to you all separately and then as a group. The other supers will want you as a collective but also on an individual basis and we have to figure out what our limits will be." Darcy said as to change the subject from him getting too close to anything she couldn't answer but to also get his opinion on her plan.

"Good idea, Darce." He said right before she washed the conditioner out. She took one more spin under the nozzle for any remaining suds, turned the water off and held an arm out of the door wiggling her fingers.

"Thank you." Darcy said both to the compliment and Bruce pressing a towel into her hand. She rubbed herself down and wrapped it around herself behind the door, stepping out all covered up. They were close and had seen each other naked before (lab experiment gone wrong...corrosive acids on clothes...not being able to look each other in the eye for days after decontamination protocols. They may be able to swap saliva on a sucker but they didn't want to willingly see each other naked. That's not how their relationship rolled) but why push it. She reached into her bag pulled out her deodorant applying it before brushing her teeth; she refused to do that at Jane and Thor's, they were a weird couple who liked cinnamon tooth paste and that made Darcy want to hurl. She got out her face stuff to take off her makeup and prepare it for the next lot. She had finished her face routine and was putting her apple anti-frizz spray into her hair when she found Bruce staring at her in the mirror; she really didn't want to open this door to more questioning but he would be more suspicious if she didn't. "What?" she asked, combing through her wet curls.

"On Monday I want to come over to your new place and have dinner." He said and she smiled in bemusement and relief. He just wanted to have dinner with her there was no need to fear the Spanish inquisition.

"You know you don't have to ask, Bruce, you can just show up." Darcy said, but Bruce was shaking his head before she'd finished talking.

"I wasn't finished. I want us to have dinner and I want you to tell me what you've been keeping secret. All of it." He said (Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition!) and Darcy felt her heart sink and her breathing become shallow. He was pushing and when Bruce pushed he got results; she'd been lucky he hadn't done it sooner, but with everything she'd learned that day she kind of wished she'd spoken to him the night before. Seeing the fear on her face, Bruce grabbed her wet shoulders and turned her to face him. "Hey, I meant what I said yesterday we want to help. I want to help. I know I don't say it but I love you too and I need to know what's going on; no matter how much you think things are looking up."

Darcy shook her head, feeling her wet hair against her back, apple wafting in the air. "You'll hate me." Darcy whispered not looking him in the eye her line of sight strictly on his chest. He moved a hand from her shoulder and hooked it under her chin, making her look back up at him like she had done to him before; ensuring that she couldn't hide from him anymore. She'd feel less vulnerable if he was seeing her naked body, not her naked emotions and wasn't that all kinds of screwed up.

"Never, Darcy; I could never hate you." He dismissed firmly but she shook her head again and stood back from him enough so his hands fell from her and she wrapped her arms around her waist. Protecting herself. "You're as much my best friend as I'm yours." Bruce said and it felt like a stab to the heart.

"Bruce..." Darcy trailed shaking her head. "I've messed everything up and it's not fair to drag you down with me; let me deal with it." Darcy all but begged but he shook his head and walked back into her space but not touching her. "Let it go."

"No; I don't care what mistakes you think you've made or how you think that you have to deal with it on your own as some sort of punishment for keeping things to yourself, you don't. This friendship is a two way street and I expect you to use it." Bruce said and Darcy sighed. He wouldn't let up but she needed to try and make him.

"Please, just...don't do this." she whispered but he shook his head and she sighed closing her eyes.

"We need to do this; you need to do this." Bruce said. "Whatever you've been carrying around with you has been slowly crushing you and it hurts to see." Bruce carried on and she knew that tone of voice. She'd heard him use it enough times when he was close to solving an equation but just needed something extra to get there; so Darcy gave it to him.

Darcy nodded her defeat and opened her eyes, her sad gaze catching his. "Ok, Monday." She agreed and he enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Thank you." He said into her hair but she shook her head.

"I wouldn't be thankful for this Bruce; I meant what I said. I've messed everything up and I don't think that even you have enough patience to deal with it all." She said muffled into his chest her hands bunching his shirt in her tight grip at the base of his back. She didn't have the courage to say that she didn't think he loved her enough to deal with all of her deceit. She couldn't handle it if it were true.

"No matter what it is I promise that I won't let it change things for the worse." He pulled back and put his hands back to her shoulders again. "I won't leave you Darcy. We will deal with it, whatever it is, together." And she closed her eyes as he placed a kiss to the top of her head. "But for tonight we are going to have fun. Leave everything else until Monday." Bruce said into her hair and she nodded, her arms wrapping around his waist; hoping that he was right and her secrets weren't too much for him to forgive.

They stayed like that for a while, neither minding the time. The party could wait, Darcy needed this; that was until JARVIS spoke and broke the moment.

"Miss Darcy Dr Banner, my apologies for the interruption, but Lady Sif and Prince Thor have arrived and Lady Sif is currently awaiting your greeting in Dr Foster's rooms."

"Thank you, JARV." Darcy said as she and Bruce pulled apart. He cupped her cheek for a moment and smiled a little sadly, Darcy thought.

"Everything will be fine, Darce." He let his hand fall slowly and went to grab her clothes as she put her things back into her bag from his countertop. He walked her to the front door and bent to pick up her shoes and bag. "You want me to walk you back to Jane's?" he asked but Darcy shook her head.

"No, thank you. You need to start getting ready." She said, her voice was noticeably sad as she took her clothes from him. All she could feel was a sense of foreboding and she couldn't shake it; not with all her compartmentalization skills or his promises to still be there for her once he knew everything. Especially as she didn't know how much she could tell him about her stalker without talking to Coulson first. Darcy didn't like people knowing her business, it made her antsy and the idea of Bruce seeing how much she'd screwed up had shame creeping up her neck.

"Hey." Bruce said gripping her elbow lightly. "I'm sorry for bringing that up now, I could probably have done it at a better time but I'm serious about being there for you no matter what. You could tell me you killed a man and all I'd ask is if you needed help hiding the body. I'm a scientist; I can make that stuff disappear with the right mix of chemicals." He joked and Darcy couldn't help the smile she had for him.

Darcy sighed and looked up at him with a tilted head. "I'm so used to doing this stuff on my own that I don't know what to expect when I let you in and that... unsettles me." She admitted. "I can't lose you; and if I do I know it will be entirely my own fault."

Bruce shook his head with a wry smile. "For as much as you can't lose me I can't lose you more. That is how I can promise that I will still be here."

"Promise?" She asked in a hushed tone, her fear lessening at that admission.

"I promise." He said firmly, his eyes not leaving hers and she wanted desperately to believe him. "We all have problems on our heels and knocking at our doors but you showed me that we don't have to deal with them on our own; now it's my turn to show you."

Darcy smiled, a little less apprehensive now and was about to reply when there was a hard knock at the door; their eyes went wide and Darcy let out a startled laughed at the coincidence. "If that's General Ross, I'll punch him in the throat and you make a break for it." She offered. To be fair if it was General Ross she would probably do a lot more than punch him his stupid throat for all he'd put her best friend through. Taser to the balls was too good for the man.

Bruce barked a surprised laugh, shaking his head as he opened the door to a smiling Thor, who was still in his travel clothes Darcy noticed. "Hello, Thor." Bruce said as he opened the door a little wider for him to enter, revealing Darcy in the process.

"Hello Brother Banner." Thor rumbled as he stepped over the threshold unintentionally defusing the tension that had been their seconds before. Darcy blamed his puppy like head tilts "I have come to collect Lady Darcy. The fair Ladies of the tower are quite impatient in awaiting her arrival in my bedchamber." And Darcy bit her tongue on a dirty retort; not because she didn't have like twenty but she was a goddamn adult who could let innuendo slip by.

"Look at me, all deserving of a royal escort." Darcy said instead giving herself a mental pat on the back, she felt better now that she had something to distract herself from admitting everything to Bruce; namely Thor, his visit to Asgard, and the presence of an Asgardian warrior he bought with him.

"As I said, the Ladies are quite impatient." Thor said again and Darcy checked the watch she had on top of her clothes.

"Oh, fuck it; Twenty-five past seven." Darcy said as she looked to Bruce. "Put the suit on." She said seriously giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, before trying to shoo Thor out of the room but he wouldn't budge and was frowning at her; ugh what now? "Thor, my good Sir, we need to get a wiggle on. I have lots of work to do before I'm presentable to my public." Darcy said as she tried to side step him.

But Thor just frowned more and Darcy wanted to taze him again. "You will catch your death if you leave here like that." Thor said as he motioned to her wet hair towel clad form and bare feet.

"It's fine, Thor, it's one floor away; I promise not to get pneumonia." Darcy said with a sorry excuse for a scouts finger salute as she tried to sidle passed him again but he just made himself bigger in the way that only Thor could and blocked her whilst removing his heavy travel cloak revealing him to be ready for the party underneath. "Seriously, that is not necessary." Darcy protested even as he was draping the cloak around her shoulders and fastening the clasp at her throat. She looked to the floor and saw how it pooled around her black painted sparkly toe nails and huffed a laugh. "Now may we go?" she asked as he took her bag and clothes from her and tucked them under one arm. That may have eased some of her ire towards him.

"Once you have suitable footwear for the journey." Thor nodded as he looked behind her and smiled. "Ah, Brother Banner seems to have something for us." Darcy twisted her body the cloak swishing around her feet and saw Bruce holding up a pair of slippers way too big for her. She hadn't even realised he'd gone.

"Ok, no; I can be barefoot, thanks."

"It is either that or I carry you, Lady Darcy." Thor said with a voice that was all Princely and had Darcy raising an eyebrow. He got like this sometimes after being all bossy at people on his home planet and Darcy was having absolutely none of it.

"Oh, you will, will you?" Darcy asked. "I think someone's forgetting that they aren't on Asgard anymore, buddy." She loved Thor and kind of got all the warm fuzzies when he went all big brotherly on her; but right now it was tipping the scales to being overbearing instead of cute.

Seeming to realise it, Thor had enough good grace to bow his head and look sorry for his pushiness. "My apologies, I do not wish to sound as if I am ordering you, I just wish for you to properly outfitted for your journey." And Darcy frowned.

"Between floors?" she said making the point again because she was going upstairs not Everest; but then waved a hand out from underneath the cloak. "You know what, screw it; give me the slippers Bruce. Fighting this battle will take way too long and I need to get ready." She said as she took the shoes from Bruce and slipped them onto her feet, using Thor as a balancing post. She was right, they were way too big and she was going to have to skid along the floor like an asshole so not to trip and break a bone. "Happy?" she asked turning to and from between Bruce and Thor; both nodding. "Good, Jesus Christ you two are just...I don't even know what you are but it makes me want to be violent." She grumbled as she ski walked into the hall and Bruce closed the door with a parting wave and smirk at how ridiculous she looked; he couldn't see but she was totally flipping him off under the cloak; the pettiness of the act making her smile to herself. She took Thor's proffered arm and asked. "How was Asgard?" as he pulled her effortlessly along the polished floors.

"It was very well, thank you. Lady Sif is very excited to be here. She misses you greatly when without contact for too long, even with Heimdall passing on your messages." Darcy smiled wide at that; glad to know that the sentry for Asgard was listening to her but even more so that she was using Sif's brother to pass intergalactic notes to his sister. It was so ridiculous but fit her life perfectly. "She seems to look forward to seeing Agent Coulson." Thor said with a frown and Darcy narrowed her eyes.

"Good, he's looking forward to seeing her too." When his frown only deepened Darcy shook her head and squeezed his arm to get him to look at her. "No Thor, you leave them alone." She said shaking her head. "They like each other and they deserve to be happy. You wouldn't like it if they started messing with you and Jane." Darcy warned. She'd put a lot of work into those two and she wasn't going to let him ruin it with his protective sensibilities.

They reached the open elevator and Thor pressed the button for his floor. "It is my duty as Sif's longtime friend and battle companion that I ensure her suitors are worthy of her. She is a very special person, not just to me but the people of my planet." Thor told her seriously and she didn't quite roll her eyes, though it was a fucking close thing.

"And Phil is important to me and the people of this planet that he helps to protect. You've seen them together Thor; it's sweet and Sif will not like you getting involved in her love life." She gave him her best sad eyes and they seemed to be working if the fact his frown was disappearing was anything to go by; or maybe it was the suggestion of an unhappy Sif, she would totally kick his ass and he would totally deserve it and Darcy would totally laugh her ass off cheering Sif on. "She gets to just be herself with Phil; not what is needed of her. And he doesn't have to be so on guard all the time; she understands the sacrifices he's made to do what he does. They respect each other. You also know Phil's a good man who deserves a little happiness in his life; why can't that happiness be Sif?" she asked. "Leave them to figure it out, Thor." That's what she was going to do no matter how much she wanted to play puppet master, it wasn't her place; yes she'd been pushy, but just to get Phil to the door, it was down to him to open it and enter into the unknown with a banging Asgardian warrior.

Thor sighed but nodded. "I shall not interfere; you have my word Lady Darcy." He promised and Darcy smiled up at him. He always kept his word; Code of honour and all that. Darcy didn't know much about that, the closest she ever came to something even remotely like that was in high school and the honour system they had; the honour system she'd been taken off of when she gave all the test answers to Mr Luton's trig class in the tenth grade to all the people failing out of his bullshit excuse for a class. He'd been a bullying, pervy asshole and she didn't have any eggs left to throw at his car; so she screwed up his grading curve knowing he was too lazy to correct it just like he was too lazy to teach the more needing students.

"Hey, Big Guy." She whispered wiggling her finger to get him to bend down to her. He did and she kissed his cheek and whispered. "Thank you." Into his ear and he chuckled.

"You are welcome." He said as the doors opened and he led her down to his suite; or dragged her as she really didn't trust herself to not trip and fall on her face. Thor opened the door and waved her in with the flourish of royalty that made her blush and bite her lip; not all habits he bought back from his trips home were bad. Darcy could hear her friends talking and laughing in the bedroom as Thor placed her things on the table by the door and removed the cloak, holding his arm out for her to slip out the slippers. "I will leave you in the capable hands of our mighty friends." He said as he backed out of the room. "I have some Asgardian refreshments to deposit in the bar." And Darcy groaned.

"Keep it chill with the Meade, Thor, limit people." she warned as he smirked and closed the door and she said. "To none, preferably." She murmured to herself as she picked up the bag that had her makeup and jewellery in. The last time she had that lighter fluid masquerading as a drink she'd convinced Thor to take her flying on Mjolnir over New York City and then had vent sex with Clint. Neither were bad, far from it, she just needed to be in control tonight and not peer pressured like a teenager into doing shots of the stuff. Although if Sif was offering body shots like the last time she may reconsider her stance.

"Darcy!" was the eager shout she heard from behind her and she squealed in excitedly at the person she had just had a memory flash of licking Asgardian alcohol from her stomach.

"Sif." Darcy called skipping happily to her friend and hugging her tightly. She really had missed her friend and she found herself bubbling with happiness at having her here and not worrying about anything even remotely sad; it wasn't worth it right then, she barely got to see her Asgardian and she wasn't going to waste her time by being a downer about things currently out of her control.

"It is good to see you my friend. It has been too long." Sif said as she pulled back and pushed some hair from Darcy's face, framing it in her hands with a beaming smile Darcy knew was mirrored with her own.

"You too; you look stunning as always." Darcy complimented the slightly Grecian style dress, with gold clasps at the shoulders and cinched waist. Sif's hair decorated with sparking jewels in the shape of flowers, pinning curls back and making her eyes glow; her light makeup making her look more soft and ethereal than her usual battle gear allowed.

"Thank you." She said obviously pleased before leaning forward a fraction. "Do you think Phil will like it? I am not sure of your earth stylings." Sif asked in a hushed tone and Darcy grinned; Phil was totes gonna get lucky.

"He'll love it; you look beautiful but then again you look beautiful with mud and blood as an accessory. I think he's just looking forward to seeing you more than what you're wearing." And Sif blushed. It was nice.

"I am glad." She said with a nod. "Now come; a woman's solo entry to the world is a thing to be celebrated and we must prepare you." Sif said as she pulled Darcy towards the bedroom with a little more force than needed on an earthling but Sif wasn't as used to dialling back her strength as Thor. She would have to remind her that Phil was a little more breakable than what she was used to and sex related injuries were only fun in the 'oh my muscles ache in places that I didn't know I had' not 'that wasn't supposed to bend that way we need to go to the ER before it falls off'.

Just as they were about to enter the bedroom the door opened and Pepper, Jane and Maria bustled out all ready for the party; because they hadn't had to deal with the emotional crisis of a man who could Hulk out if he got too antsy. "Oh, Darcy I'm sorry, I have to go and deal with Tony. Apparently he dislikes the suit he was going to wear and Steve is about ready to hang him out of the window if he tosses another outfit at him. There was an incident with a loafer to the face and a threat of shoving it somewhere not at all pleasant." Pepper said with a grimace of the visual and an apologetic frown for leaving her that Darcy waved away.

"That's fine, go and save your man. Steve will hang him out of that window with that shoe already situated." She said as Pepper squeezed her arm and glided gracefully on her sky high heels. To be honest Darcy had expected Tony to act up at the party; he really didn't want her to go and he had no problem playing the brat to make sure she knew it. Good God did she love that man and she wanted his shoes on his feet and nowhere else on or in his person.

Darcy looked back from Peppers back to Maria and Jane. "What's up with you two?" she asked with some suspicion. Darcy recognised Jane's expression; it was her 'I have a brilliant science plan and I must enact it now interfere at your own peril' face and Darcy really wasn't in the mood to talk her out of going to the lab. She would win but it was time that would be wasted, her victory hollow and her celebratory dance deemed to be obnoxious in the face of time restraints.

"I got a call from SHIELD, apparently Jane ordered some equipment and we need to oversee its unpacking." Translation: Jane would throw a complete bitch fit if there was a wire bent wrong. "JARVIS has set up a feed to HQ that we can use in one of the conference rooms so we don't have to be there in person." Maria said and Darcy nodded vigorously. There was no way she was going to deal with a piss-y Jane all night when she was worrying about her machines being bad touched.

"Completely understandable, go and check on your babies, Janie; Sif is here, I won't be on my lonesome. We'll see you guys at the party." Darcy said with another dismissive wave and nod at the door for them to leave.

"Go and tend to your duties, I shall see to Darcy's needs." Sif agreed.

"I'm really sorry, Darce." Jane said as she trailed after Maria to the door.

"All good Janie, we have all night." Darcy reassured, glad to see she wasn't nearly as drunk now although she doubted that would last long with Thor's party favour.

"We'll see you up at the bar." Maria confirmed before the door closed and left Darcy alone with Sif.

"So, I'm gonna get dressed." Darcy said as she went into the bedroom placing her makeup bag on the vanity, she rooted in her overnight bag, found her underwear and then walked to where her garment bag was hanging on the walk in closet door she was going to get dressed in.

"How have you been Darcy?" Sif asked from behind her as she unzipped the bag to reveal her dress.

"Why, what has Thor said?" Darcy asked over her shoulder with a knowing smile. The question was a little too casually asked and the sheepish expression Sif now wore was telling.

"Not much. He may have indicated that you have been unhappy as of late and that he hoped my presence here may bolster your spirit." She tilted her head and looked Darcy in the eye. "Are you unhappy Darcy?"

Darcy turned back to her clothes and licked her lips, her fingers trailing over the shirt of Clint's that she had placed there that morning. "I'm really trying not to be." She admitted softly.

"Sometimes that is all you can do." Sif said as she took a seat on the chair in the corner of the room, smoothing her dress with graceful hands. "Do you wish to speak on it?"

"No, thank you, Sif." Darcy replied knowing that Sif wouldn't be offended. Sif understood the positive qualities of silence and that actions were sometimes more telling."How have you been, Sif?" Darcy said as she took her dress from the hanger and entered the closet. She put on her underwear as Sif spoke from the other room.

"Well, Darcy, I have been well." Darcy was adjusting her bra when she heard the sigh Sif let out but she spoke no further. That was an opening if there ever was one.

"But?" Darcy called out stepping into her dress and holding it to her chest as she exited the closet and saw Sif with a pinched look.

"But life has become stagnant." She admitted after a long moment of contemplation. "I used to wage mighty wars with Thor and the Warriors Three at my side and now I have to partake in petty battles of the tongue in court." She stood from her seat and walked to Darcy, motioning for her to turn so she could zip the dress up for her.

"Thor says you've been amazing in his stead." Darcy said as she moved her dress into the right position; a bit annoyed that because of her recent weight loss it was a little looser in places; it still made her look bang-able though, so win for her. "He doesn't trust anyone more to speak for him in his absence." Darcy said as she turned to face her friend.

"And I am grateful for his belief in my abilities on and off the battlefield it is just..." Sif sighed again, this time a little more frustrated than sad.

"A big transition and one you didn't think would come for a little while longer yet." Darcy finished for her and she nodded in relief. Yeah Darcy was good at handling others problems it was her own that had her stumped.

"I will continue to do my duty in whatever capacity Asgard needs of me, I just have to realign my thinking."And Darcy smiled; a light bulb popping with an idea.

"This is not me pushing you into anything but I think that Phil can help you with that." Sif raised an eyebrow and Darcy laughed. "I'm serious; we were talking earlier about me trying to be happy, well Phil has been the one to make me see things differently. He's very good at seeing the whole picture and telling you what you can do to help yourself." Darcy said as she walked to the vanity and picked up the hair dryer. "He also knows what it's like to go from being in field to behind a desk. He can empathise with your sudden change of course."

Sif thought about that for a moment before nodding. "I shall ask him his opinion. He is a man of fine wisdom and his thoughts on my situation will no doubt be a great boon for my troubled thoughts. Thank you, Darcy" Sif said seeming lighter and less strained around her eyes.

"Damn straight." Darcy nodded. "I'm going to dry this;" Darcy said motioning to her slightly dripping hair If she didn't deal with it now it would be unmanageable. "Drinks and things are in the kitchen." Darcy offered. She was a good goddamn host even if she was in someone else's home.

Sif nodded. "You do as you need. I am just going to retrieve something from the other room."

Darcy spent the next ten minutes drying her hair. Having curls sucked sometimes; So much damn maintenance but was happy that it wasn't a nest when she turned off the dryer and brushed it through; her anti frizz and detangling shampoos doing their jobs. She looked up at the door and smiled as she saw Sif enter with a wooden box in her hands.

"I have something for you." Sif said as she handed Darcy the present. The box had beautifully intricately designed leaf and flower decorations on the lid and a gold closure at the front.

"You didn't have to get me anything." Darcy said as she let Sif guide her into the seat she sat Jane in earlier.

"I know, but it is as I said, you are about to go out into the world on your own; you should enter it wanting to be seen as to not be swallowed by it, and I think this may help you be noticed."

Darcy opened the box and it glowed in her face like the 'Pulp Fiction' suitcase. "Oh." She gasped and Sif laughed at her ineloquence.

"Quite." She said as she leaned forward and gathered the bracelet into her hands. "These are remnants of stars." Sif explained, motioning to the embedded glowing orbs. "They are capable of a great many things; not only are they a great beauty to behold but also a great deal of power can be derived from them." Darcy moved a finger forward and traced a small, circular shining dot; transfixed by it. "But these ones have very specific abilities; stars are pure creation and thus are a source of healing in Asgard, I hope for them to help your current problems and those upcoming."Darcy looked up and quirked her head but didn't press her on what she meant.

"And what are the other abilities?" she asked instead.

"Energy that can be traced throughout galaxies;" Sif said bluntly and Darcy quirked an eyebrow that had Sif smiling. "I admit to having a few reasons for you accepting this gift; not only to adorn your wrist for the celebrations but also as a beacon. When one leaves their home it is easy to become lost both philosophically and physically; I may not be able to help in the former but the latter I am."

Darcy looked at the jewellery for a few more moments, the glinting, glistening and glittering arresting her attention. "Thank you, Sif, it is truly stunning." In the past two days she had received two pieces of jewellery that were not only beautiful but could also be used to track her in the event of her disappearance by people that loved her. She chose not to dwell on the macabre of the situation and instead enjoy the shiny of it; both emotional and visual.

"You are very welcome." Sif said with a bowed head.

"Would you?" Darcy asked holding her wrist out for Sif to attach the bracelet to. Sif deftly clasped it to her wrist and smiled.

"Perfect." And Darcy bit her lip in happiness.

"Now we must make you even more of a beauty to behold." Sif said as she took hold of combs and clips and started to pin Darcy's loose, natural curls away from her face to rest at the side of her head just below her ear; waves gently swept across one bare shoulder. With a few short bursts of hair spray to keep it in place and to avoid any static issues it was done. "I must say," Sif started as she finished manipulating curls to sit just right and then began sorting through lipsticks. "It is rather nice to do a woman's hair once in a while." She bought up a crimson stick and nodded happily with her choice. "Volstagg never lets me get adventurous with his. Only enough to satisfy his battling needs. He's rather narrow minded when it comes to his tresses." And Darcy laughed.

"Well he's missing out. This is amazing." Darcy said as she moved her head side to side in the mirror admiring the handiwork; it was elegant yet understated and she loved it.

"I think for your face we should bring out your natural assets. Bold lips and framed eye with appled cheeks." Sif said twirling a finger at her own face in demonstration And Darcy nodded, happy to go along with what Sif wanted. She had good taste. Sif had applied the powders in silence and had just finished lining her eyes when she spoke. "It was not just Thor who told me of your troubles." Sif said and Darcy opened her eyes frowning a little at the sudden admission but remembering the little comment about 'problems upcoming' and thinking Logan may have been right about her being able to pick up on seemingly off hand comments for what they truly were.

"What do you mean?" Darcy asked and Sif frowned obviously battling with herself with what to say. "Sif?" Darcy encouraged.

"Heimdall watches over you." Sif began busying herself with applying some more blush to Darcy's cheeks. "As someone aware of the existence of Asgard and so close to Thor it was decided it was for the continued safety of my home planet to keep a watchful eye on you." She put down the brush and powder and picked up the lipstick. "Of course that is only the official reasoning to placate the needs of the council; the real reason is that you are our friend and we wish to know you are safe as we are so far away." Sif slicked the colour on Darcy's lips in confident and precise strokes motioning for her to massage them together when she was satisfied. "Before my journey here my brother instructed me to give you a message-" before she could continue Darcy quickly held a finger to her lips and looked up to the ceiling with meaning; Sif frowned but stopped talking.

"JARVIS could you put us under Coulson's chosen security setting, please? The same one you used for the garage." Darcy asked her eyes not leaving Sif's whose face changed from confusion to understanding in the space of a request.

"It is done, Miss Darcy."

"Thank you JARVIS." Darcy said.

"These walls have ears." Sif said as her eyes traced the edges of the room and Darcy smiled.

"And eyes and a mouth with a creator on the annoying side of nosey." Darcy explained. "It's safe now."

Sif nodded. "Heimdall said to tell you that 'That of blood runs deep but the ties of love are stronger.' He wouldn't say anymore other than for you to 'Make the choices when another is too close to be doing so.' Do you understand what that means?"

Darcy shook her head, no, trying to think but coming up blank. "But I don't think I'm supposed to. Not yet." Darcy said; she figured it would become clear when the time was right and not before. Darcy looked to the ceiling and said. "Thank you Heimdall, I'll take it under advisement." Now she knew he was listening she wasn't going to be rude and she was thankful, she knew he wasn't supposed to reveal information of what he saw; even as cryptic as it was he obviously believed it would aid her in some way.

Darcy looked back to Sif who had a look of concern and fear. "It will be fine, Sif, things are being handled."

"Are you certain?" Sif asked and Darcy nodded firmly; because they were. Logan was out right that moment looking for leads and she had super spies watching her back.

"Yes; plans are in place." Darcy assured before she rolled her lips in preparation of what she was going to have to ask of Sif, Darcy grimaced as she said. "Thor can't know about what Heimdall said, and I think the fact that your brother only told you, means that he knows it too. I hate having to ask this: but please do not tell Thor."

Sif huffed a breath through her nose, obviously not happy, but nodded her head tightly. "I will keep this to myself. If Heimdall thought Thor should know he would have been present in our conversation. You have my word."

"Thank you." Darcy sighed and Sif smiled at Darcy's obvious discomfort at having yet another person withhold information for her.

"I have kept things from Thor before, Darcy. With how long we have known one another it would be an untruth to say I have not; this will be fine." She turned back to the table effectively ending the conversation, handed Darcy the mascara and placing her studded diamonds, a thank you gift from Steve for being awesome, on the vanity. "You must finish." Sif said. "We are already late for your party but I understand that is a tradition according to Lady Pepper." Sif nodded to the clock on Jane's bedside table and Darcy groaned.

"Seriously, quarter past eight? I knew I wouldn't be on time today." Darcy groused as she applied her mascara quickly, with long practiced ease of hand. "Hey JARV is anybody waiting for us to show up yet?" she asked as she started to put her earrings in and went to retrieve her shoes across the room.

"Prince Thor is standing at the balcony talking to Captain Rogers and Doctor Banner, Miss Darcy."

"Is Bruce wearing his suit?" Darcy asked with narrowed eyes as Sif offered an arm for her to grip as she put her super high shoes on, which she accepted with a smile. If he wasn't Darcy was already late, she had no problem dragging him back and brow beating him into dressing like a grown up.

"He is, along with the tie Miss Potts bought him for his birthday." JARVIS confirmed.

"Good boy." Darcy said to herself and smiled as she made her way back to the vanity and sprayed on her perfume. Yes it was the stuff that Clint got her but she loved it. "And where is everyone else?" She asked as she started to pack up her belongings to take down to Tasha's room. She figured Natasha would need to grab an overnight bag to take to her new place and there was no point of making two trips when they wanted to leave.

"Sir has just finished dressing under Miss Potts strict instruction to not change again or she would allow Captain Rogers to follow through on his treats and shall be down shortly. Assistant Director Hill and Dr Foster are on the last piece of equipment and are expected to join the festivities within the next ten minutes."

"Ok, thank you JARV. Could you please tell the boys on the balcony that we'll be there soon?" she asked as she led Sif to Thor's front door picking up the last of her things from the table.

"They have been made aware and eagerly await your arrival." JARVIS replied after a moment.

"Thank you, bud." Darcy said as she turned to Sif. "You good to go?"

"I am ready." Sif assured and Darcy guided her out of Thor's suite and closed the door. "You are quite impressive, Darcy. I would think you to be a great strategist in battle with your organisational skill."

"Yeah," Darcy snorted. "I make out like a bandit at RISK." She looked to Sif with a raised brow. "You do remember I'm late right? I doubt that would be an advantage in battle."

"That depends; it could be a great advantage in seeing what your opposition has planned and how best to organise your counter strike." Sif reasoned and Darcy shook her head with a fond smile.

"While you plan my, no doubt, illustrious military career; I'm just going to take my stuff down to Tasha's, you can head on to the boys." Darcy said and Sif tilted her head with a frown.

"I can accompany you." Sif protested making moves to carry Darcy's bags but she shook her head with a smile at her Asgardian manners.

"I'm good, thank you; I actually need you to do me a favour. Thor bought back some Asgardian Meade and I would be beyond grateful if you could go play watcher and make sure the boys behave themselves until everyone gets there." Darcy asked and Sif's eyes widened and she nodded in understanding.

"I will do my best to ensure our friends remain unharmed." Sif said as she looked up and down the hall for the right direction to go in.

"Hey JARV-" Darcy started but was cut off before she could ask her question.

"I shall light a path to guide Lady Sif to the others, Miss Darcy; if you would Lady Sif." JARVIS said as he began turning overhead lights on for Sif to follow.

"Thank you JARVIS." Sif said before turning to Darcy and righting a curl that had come loose of a pin a smile on her face. "Tonight we have fun." And Darcy smiled back.

"Tonight we have fun." She agreed and Sif turned to follow JARVIS' directions to the party.

Darcy watched Sif go for a moment before entering the waiting elevator. Before she could press the light for Tasha's floor it lit up on its own and Darcy smiled up at the ceiling and said. "I love you." To JARVIS up in the ceiling.

"I am quite fond of you as well, Miss Darcy." JARVIS replied dryly to her heartfelt declaration and Darcy laughed

The ride to Tasha's apartment was a short one from Jane and Thor's and she was glad of it; Darcy wanted the party to start already. The sooner it did the sooner it would be over and she could go home and spend some time with her Russian. It may seem uncharitable to her other friends, especially the one who had taken a trip over the rainbow, but if Phil did his part she should be good and distracted, so Darcy didn't mind so much; she hadn't seen Tasha in weeks and she had missed her desperately. She wanted nothing more than for them to sit on her couch and make silly plans for what they would do on their 'Rom-y and Lew-y's best road trip evah' across America. The world's largest ball of twine was higher on top of that list than either was proud of. So was Dollywood but there was no shame there, not even a goddamn hint; Parton is a Goddess, even ex – Russian assassins agreed.

Darcy exited the elevator (humming '9 to 5') and made her way to Tasha's door, smiling to herself when it opened and the lights were already on. JARVIS was awesome. She placed her things by the couch and turned back to the door, stopping in front of it to take a deep steadying breath, squaring her shoulders and putting her 'I'm super fun, Damnit' game face on that could also be 'pfft Barton? What of him?' for the night ahead, her hand was on the handle when someone from behind her spoke.

"Shouldn't you be at your party? I think you're taking 'fashionably late' a bit far."

Darcy froze for a moment before turning slowly on her heels, beaming full force when she found the source of the voice leaning in the doorway of her bedroom dressed ready for a party; her red hair haloed from the backlight of her bedside lamp.

"Tasha." Darcy breathed relief flooding her body and making her shoulders sag.

"Hello Darcy." Natasha smiled back as rolled off of the door jamb and walked quickly towards her. Darcy dashed forward quicker and threw her arms around Tasha in a strong hold around the shoulders; unsurprised when Tasha had the centre of gravity to take the force of impact and not topple over. They did yoga together and Natasha's core strength was ridic but Darcy was bendier so they both had something to be jealous of.

"I've missed you." Darcy said and Tasha's arms tightened around her ribs in response.

"I've missed you too milaya devushka." She whispered back, using her nickname of 'sweet girl' in Russian, before giving another squeeze and pulling back to see Darcy's face, holding her upper arms in a firm hold. "I'm sorry that I wasn't here for you." Tasha apologised fiercely her fingers flexing as she spoke; face stricken at being so far away when her friend needed her most. "But I promise not to leave your side until you are safe and happy once more and the person after you is put down." She vowed and Darcy swallowed.

Not in fear of her, never in fear of her but for her. A lot like her relationship with Bruce, Darcy had never been afraid of Tasha, it was just the last thing she wanted Natasha to do was kill for her. People saw Natasha Romanov and her often stoic presence and think her cold because of it but she was far from it. Tasha was soft, sweet, funny and kind. She just didn't allow those parts of her to dictate what needed to be done and sometimes that was ending a life. But Darcy knew what that did to Tasha. It stayed with her. Weighed down on her and Darcy didn't want to be the cause of one more weight on her shoulders. She'd meant what she'd said to Bruce that morning when he was un-braiding her hair; she liked being the thing that unburdened them not being another thing to add to their ever growing list of problems, responsibilities and regrets.

"Phil told you everything he knows?" Darcy asked and Tash nodded her head slowly in answer; a dangerous glint in her eye telling Darcy the Black Widow was a blink away. Darcy nodded her head back and smiled as she hugged her friend again. "I'm glad you're back safe and unhurt." Darcy whispered and then stilled, feeling a little guilty, she leant back to look in Natasha's face and asked. "You are safe and unhurt, right? I didn't just bust any stitches in my cuddle attack, did I?" Darcy took a few steps back and looked Natasha up and down, checking for any and all signs of injury. Nat was way too practiced at hiding signs of pain for her own good sometimes. Darcy had caught her more than once stitching her own wounds so Darcy had taken it upon herself to pass some trauma treatment courses to be better equipped to make her not do that anymore and come to her instead; the skills were also transferable to her lab monkeys and the other hospital-phobic people of the tower. Although her skills as 'Avenger patch-er upper' were needed a lot less, since Darcy had become very good at the 'sad eyes' that convinced them to get actual treatment from professionals more often than not, and she was very proud of the fact.

"I'm fine;" Tasha said firmly, not wanting to be subjected to said eyes. "I know better than to keep that from you." She expanded with a fond curve of her lips. "I just have some bruises that are already healing, I promise." Tasha bent slightly to catch Darcy's eyes from mapping for injuries that weren't there and held her gaze when she caught it. "And don't think I didn't notice the subtle subject change, Darce." Tasha admonished and Darcy sighed about to argue her point. "But Coulson has told me to help get you through the party without incident and to make sure you have at least a little fun; so that is what I will do. We can talk about everything that happened when I was away when we go home." She said and Darcy nodded. It's not that she didn't want to talk to Natasha about it, she did very much so, it was just then was so not the time for it.

"Yeah; when we get home." Darcy agreed and then smiled. "You're back." She said happily.

"I'm back." Tasha nodded with an answering smile. Darcy liked it when Tash smiled, it lit up her whole face and you were powerless to not respond.

"We should get going." Darcy said as she motioned to the door. "Like you said 'I'm taking fashionably late a little far'. Tony will think I've skipped out and track me down with this." Darcy joked as she nudged her pendant.

"He finally gave it to you then." Tasha said as she took the pendant in between her fingers and turned it in the light admiring the glisten of the diamond and the intricacies of the design. Tasha looked up and smiled at Darcy's quirked brow and answered the question in it. "He asked my opinion on the style about a month and a half ago and if you would be receptive to being tracked by him." She explained as she straightened the chain and placed the device back down. "I said you'd wear an antenna on your head if it meant we wouldn't worry." Tasha said and Darcy nodded and smiled; she totally would. She was also touched that Tony had put real thought and effort into making sure she was happy. The next lab he blew up she wasn't going to moan at him in her gratitude. "And we'll leave in a moment." Tasha said when Darcy looked her in the eye. "When you've told me what it is you're afraid of a few floors away." And Darcy closed her eyes; of course Tasha could see it. "Darcy." Nat called and waited for her to open her eyes and look at her again. "Give your fear a voice so we can tell it to fuck off together."

Darcy nodded and gave a little smile at Tasha's protective mama bear instincts but she felt tears building and tried to blink them back. She may have time to voice her fears for the night, in the hope they would have less power over her but she definitely didn't have time to reapply her makeup.

"I'm going to see him." Darcy whispered and Tash didn't need clarification on which 'him' she meant. "All day I've been telling myself that it'll be fine, that I'll be fine; that I can deal with it, I'm strong enough and I can distract myself with the others, but I think I've been lying to myself." Darcy shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek against the tears she still felt but knowing it was a futile effort. "In fact I know I have." She confessed. "I'm so scared that as soon as we're in the same room I'm going to be right back where I was the night he broke up with me, because it still hurts just as badly as it did two weeks ago." Darcy looked down and swallowing thickly she quietly said. "He broke my heart, Tash and it isn't even a little bit fixed." Darcy's voice broke and she looked up just as a tear escaped just as she knew it would. "I don't know if I can do this." She admitted, shaking her head a little.

And she really didn't know if she could. Even knowing he may have ended things with her to protect her didn't magically fix what he broke to begin with. He'd hurt her and now she had to go to a party with a happy smile and act like she didn't want to go straight to him and demand answers.

Or kiss him.

Or slap him.

Or hold him.

She was ashamed of her indecisiveness.

She was ashamed that the thing to break her after the day she had was a fucking man.

She was annoyed that she had still had tears left to cry for him and was wasting her energy on them instead of figuring out who was following her or if she should change her entire life and help with the next generation of Human Sapiens superior.

But mostly she was pissed at the small part of her that looked forward to seeing him because she'd missed him. That really rubbed up against her pride unpleasantly- maybe even more than the tears.

Tasha gently dabbed her Darcy's tear away so to not compromise her makeup before softly hooking Darcy's chin with her fingers. "You can do this." Natasha said her voice strong with belief, eyes unwavering in their support. "You are stronger than you know, Darcy. I saw that in you the first time we met. Do you remember?" Tasha asked and Darcy nodded wondering where she was going. "You looked me in the eye, shook my hand, smiled and never once flinched or cowered." Tash reminded with a proud smile. "Men and women three times your size, whose hands drip with the blood of the innocent, have crumbled under the stare I gave you; but you just smiled at me. And it was genuine; you were just pleased to meet me even knowing who I was and what I have done." Her voice was tender and a little disbelieving of what she'd just said and Darcy blushed. "Whenever you feel like something is too much you squeeze my hand and I'll make it stop." She promised strongly as she clasped Darcy's hands in hers to reinforce her point. "I will not leave your side." She said again. "And the moment you want to go, tell me and we're gone. No questions asked." Nat promised as she rearranged a curl on Darcy's shoulder. "Even if it is as soon as we walk into the party I will make our excuses and take you away. I won't let Clint or anyone make this anymore difficult for you." Tash moved the hand from her shoulder and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. "Just smile again Darcy and trust me to take care of everything; can you do that?" Tasha asked eyes searching her face.

Darcy thought for a moment, Natasha wouldn't accept an automatic answer; she would want Darcy's considered opinion. Darcy definitely trusted Tasha to keep the promises she'd made and knowing that she would have her unwavering support the entire night had lessened the sick feeling Darcy had in the pit of her stomach. She'd also made it that far and with Tash at her side Darcy felt a little invincible, a party should be a cakewalk in the face of that feeling. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath through her nose and nodded. "Yes." She said on her exhale and opened her eyes slowly to look back at Natasha. "I trust you." Because she really did and if Tasha said she could do this then she fucking could. Darcy let out a centring breath and smiled. She was going to rock this night, Archer be damned.

Tasha nodded with a pleased smile as she slowly let go of Darcy's hand and swiped her thumbs under Darcy's teary eyes and fixed her makeup. "Then we should go now. No point in delaying the inevitable." She said backing up a few steps towards her bedroom picking up a large suitcase that had Darcy laughing under her breath. "What?" Nat asked as she put it next to Darcy's things by the door and motioned for her to leave the room with a nod of her head at the opened door.

"I knew that you'd want to grab a bag but I thought you would go for something a little more inconspicuous than something the right size for a long vacation abroad." Darcy teased as they made their way to the elevator. That was one of the reasons she loved being around Natasha; she understood Darcy's need to talk something through and then move on. Darcy didn't like to dwell once a conclusion had been made and neither did Tash. Hence an emotional chat and then back to business as usual. It fit in with her compartmentalisation philosophy; everything had a time and place.

Tasha laughed. "You just wait to see how many of those I fill for the trip we keep saying we'll take together to Italy." She pressed the button for the floor the party was on when they were both inside the car. "I don't pack light." She warned jokingly.

Darcy shook her head, smiling. "And I think you're fibbing, Tash; unless you plan on taking enough weaponry to outfit a small army with us on our girl's getaway to the Riviera." She glanced sideways at her friend and saw the all too innocent look she wore and laughed again. "Clint has the same luggage, you dork. I know all about the false bottoms and hidden compartments for your spy gadgets." Tasha bowed her head a little, her innocent look quickly turning darker and Darcy turned to her, a look of concern on her face all humour gone in an instant. "Tasha?" Darcy called worriedly.

Natasha took a deep breath and turned to face Darcy head on with a severe look on her face. "Someone's after you and I intend to be prepared to end them before they even have the chance of ending you." Her voice was low and deadly and it made Darcy's gut clench. Not in alarm at being face to face with a renowned assassin but sorrow for her friend, because Darcy could hear the underlying fear that promise held. Not of whoever was after Darcy, they were both certain whoever it was would have no chance against the Black Widow but at the possibility of losing a friend from a yet unknown threat. Tasha did well with confirmed targets but supposition had her on edge.

"And you will do whatever you have to protect me; even if it means turning my new home into a weapons cache." Darcy nodded and Tasha's lip quirked in an involuntary smile. Darcy couldn't delve into the psyche of Natasha Romanov and ease her fears in the space of a short elevator ride to a party; she needed at least a couple of hours with expensive ice creams and cheap alcohol, so she fell back on humour. "In fact I think I can help with that; I was watching 'Home alone' the other night and I think that my apartment is very well suited to the pull-e party set up. It would give me a chance to prove me rescuing those Avengers cardboard cut outs from that conference wasn't a complete waste of time and space in my closet. We could rig it look like I have twenty four hour super powered parties and scare the creeper off." Darcy said as she turned her back to the elevator doors and stood in front of Tasha.

Natasha shook her head and smiled; sour mood dissipating. "You should take the threat more seriously." She said and Darcy scoffed.

"Please, I've had hours to process this; just you wait by this time tomorrow you'll be dressing cardboard Cap in that French maids outfit that I have- which we both know why I have but are far too adult to say- and heating my door knobs." Darcy tilted her head and bit her lip on a smirk. "That sounded dirty; I liked it."

Natasha laughed and shook her head. "Ok. I get the point. Focus on the party and then everything else." And Darcy nodded once.

"Exactly Tash; Phil, Bruce and Sif have all told me to have fun tonight and having you here with me makes that easier."

"Then we have fun." Tasha said with a smile and Darcy smiled back.

"Then we have fun." Darcy echoed as the doors opened and started walking out of the elevator backwards, tilting her head at the scowl that Tasha had all of a sudden. "Tash-" she started but cut off with an 'ooomf' as her back connected with something solid and she wobbled on her heels a little before strong hands grasped her waist and she gasped.

She knew those hands keeping her upright.

She recognised the grunt of air being expelled from the impact.

She knew whose chest she was resting against.

Darcy whipped her head around and found her face an inch away from one Clint Barton's.

When was the fun supposed to start?

**A/N:** Ooof long chapter is loooong. Hope you liked it and thank you to all you reviewers you are wonders. And to the favers and followers. Y'all make me smile.

SJ xx


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